The Crimson Ritual
by Kos-Mos607
Summary: AU ending Caleb has mysteriously disappeared after his fight with Chase at Putnum barn and Pogue keeps having strange dreams about his missing friend and a dark room he’s never been to before. SLASH WARNING!
1. Chapter 1

All chapters are being re-corrected and re-worded since I finally have a chance to do this. Nothing will change (hopefully) except my horrid spelling errors and grammar that you all have been nice enough to put up with.

For those of you who are now starting to read this I hope you will enjoy it. This fic has taken me almost 2 years to do and I've put tons of time, effort and thought into it. Reviews are very appreciated.

**Chapter 1**

A dark chill slowly crept down the back of Pogue's spine.

He was freezing; there was no warmth here, not even from the many candles that covered the entire length of the vast room. He brought his arms closer to his chest in a futile attempt to rub the chills away but it was no use; the cold felt like it was slowly seeping into his bones.

The lighting dimmed slightly and Pogue raised his head. A hooded figure stood in front of him, staring at him with dark eyes. Pogue tried to get his voice to work, disparity wanting some answers but nothing came out. He was mute.

The hooded man smiled somewhat at his attempts to get his voice to work before extending his arm and pointing at something over Pogue's head. After eyeing the man closely Pogue slowly turned his head around towards the stone table behind him. Candles were carefully placed around the other edges of its surface and in the center of it laid a book. The was no writing on the cover so he couldn't tell what it was, but all of his instincts told him it wasn't something he wanted to read.

He turned his head back towards the hooded man only to discover that he was gone. The lights from all of the candles slowly started to go out and the room suddenly dissolved from under his feet.

--

Pogue bolted upright, drenched in a cold sweat and panting heavily. The plain walls of his small bedroom slowly came into focus and within a few short moments he managed to get his breathing under control. The side of his head started to hurt and with an annoyed moan he lightly touched the side of his head.

That dream again...

For the past three months he must've had that dream over a dozen times. He was always in the same stone-walled room with tons of candles spread out everywhere and every time he always woke up in a cold sweat with a headache.

Pogue groaned and lightly massaged his temples; his head feeling like someone had it in a vise. He fell back and let his eyes focus on the ceiling until the pain subsided. Images from the dream started replaying themselves inside of his head, the dark room, the stone table, the book, the hooded man. None of it made any sense to him. It never did. He knew he'd never been to there, where the hell _there_ was, and he sure as hell didn't recognize the person that always stood in front of him the whole time and never said anything.

All he knew was these dreams started that one night three months ago when Caleb disappeared. That much he could figure out because the first one he had was when he was in the hospital recovering from Chase's handy work. It was later when he woke up that Reid told him the grave news, Caleb had fought Chase and both of them disappeared afterwards. They never found Chase's body and Caleb never returned home that night after he took Sarah back to her dorm. After a few long days of sitting in the Intensive Care Unit he got moved to a different room with even fewer things for him to do other then sit there and worry about what fate had done with his best friend.

Finally a day later, Reid came back and told him that the police had located Caleb's car, abandoned on the bare road that led to the Putnum Barn.

Finally the pain inside his skull was starting to subside. He cursed the day when he _ascended. _If he would've known his new powers would be this much hassle he would've willed them away to someone else. Not like he had much to live for nowadays anyway. Caleb was gone. Sarah had gotten over her loss in record time and moved on...and so had Kate. All he had now was Reid and Tyler and the only reason he was still here was for their sake. He was all they had as well; who else was going to keep Reid in line or Tyler from becoming a complete mess?

Pogue sighed deeply and ran a hand through his ruffled up hair. The three of them had really changed in the short time Caleb had been gone. Reid was less obnoxious and hardly used anymore since he _ascended, _even though Pogue caught him using one of he newest abilities a few times but in the life of an average eight-teen year old, who wouldn't sell their soul to gain a few more precious seconds of sleep, or in Reid's case a chance to sneak a quick peak at someone else's test for answers. Tyler could heal any wound but only physical damage, not mental otherwise he would've erased the horrid details of his _own_ ascension from his mind.

As for himself, Pogue was blessed with empathic abilities that irritated him to no end. All they were good for was giving him one serious headache whenever he was around more then one person and making him experience weird-ass nightmares like tonight.

With a quick glance over his shoulder at his alarm clock, Pogue groaned and flopped on his back again. He really needed to get some more sleep, his first class was less then three hours away and his falling grades compelled him to go.

With one more frustrated sigh he rolled back over onto his stomach and closed his eyes. It didn't take long for him to fall into a dreamless state for a few hours longer.


	2. Chapter 2

Yes I've given the boys additional powers, I felt like they needed more individually since they're all basically the same in the movie and Reid and Tyler are little more then props. All four have _ascended_ and you'll see what their new 'gifts' are if you keep reading but in short, Pogue is an empath which means he can feel emotions, wither they're from other people, places, etc. He can also touch minds and view memories. Reid can halt time for a short moment (like Dante's Quicksilver ability in DMC3) enabling him to move fast in a blink of eye and yadda, yadda (insert Superman pun here). And finally, Tyler can heal any physically injuries at the cost of his own energy. As I said, you'll learn more about their gifts as you keep reading…

**Chapter 2**

"Mr. Parry, late again I see."

"Sorry Mr. Richard." Pogue replied atomically and tossed his late slip on his teacher's desk.

"Well, now that Mr. Parry has decided to join us, we can officially begin."

"Dick." Pogue mouthed as he climbed the sections towards his usual seat by Reid and Tyler.

He stopped mid way when he started to feel the normal pulsating feeling around temple. He groaned quietly and pressed his palm against the side of his head as hundreds of emotions attacked him all at once; boredom, anger, annoyance... the list when on and on. This was usually why he avoided large groups of people.

"Mr. Parry, are you having a problem locating your seat?"

All at once, the feelings turned off as everyone stopped thinking and turned their full attention towards him.

"No." Pogue sighed as his headache passed.

He gave his teacher an annoyed look and made his way towards his usual seat next to Reid and Tyler who were also staring at him questionably.

"Are you okay?" Tyler asked.

"I'm fine." Pogue replied as he sat down.

Immediately his hand went back to the side of his head as the random emotions ran amuck again. The blond girl sitting a row in front of them was terribly bored and another girl three seats away from her was upset and on the verge of tears for a reason Pogue didn't have the energy to care about.

"Sure you're okay?" Tyler asked softly.

"I'll be fine." Pogue grumbled as he started getting his powers under control.

It was official; he was never leaving his apartment again.

The heavy pounding soon turned into a gentle thump and soon the only emotions left inside of his skull where his own. Reid and Tyler were still looking at him funny. He nodded slightly and signaled that he was okay and started digging his text book out of his backpack.

"Today we will be continuing our study of Pagan rituals in the sixteen hundreds." Mr. Richard stated loudly and began writing on the blackboard.

"God, not another one of these..." Reid grumbled as he pushed his book forwards and folded his arms over it. "This is gonna be a long hour."

"Mm-hm." Tyler sighed while still casting worried glances at Pogue.

"Now the Pagans believed that all life was eternal, never ending. Even in death. And it was because of that belief that they performed various rituals in order to reincarnate their dead."

The classroom was soon filled with the sounds of pencils scratching against paper as the students started taking notes.

"One of the more famous rituals used was called "The Crimson Tome". Not much is known about it but in theory the ritual was performed one a night when there was a full moon and called for three different items in order to work properly." Richard continued as he started scratching more notes on the blackboard.

"Bor-ring." Reid yawned loudly.

--

"Now I remember why I hate history." Reid said as the three of them exited the classroom.

"Mm-hm." Tyler and Pogue both grunted in agreement.

"Hey, Kate's having a party tonight." Reid said and turned his head towards Pogue.

"And?" Pogue grumbled

Reid blinked. "You're not going?"

"No."

"Why not, still pissed at her?"

"Reid, stop being such a prick." Tyler groaned.

"Oh come on, it's what I'm good at." Reid smiled happily. "Well that and a few other things."

Reid smiled and shifted his eyes quickly, turning them black and then back to normal again. Pogue quickly looked around them, hoping that no one noticed and then smacked Reid in his shoulder.

"Dumb ass, we're in public!"

"Hey, who died and made you Caleb?"

Pogue growled and was about to smack Reid again when another emotion pried it's way into his head; Fear. He focused on it and easily found its source... Tyler. Pogue took a quick look over his shoulder at Tyler, who was standing behind them with his head down and then back at Reid, glaring a deep hole into him. Reid's eyes were still on Tyler however.

After a long moment, Reid turned his gaze back towards Pogue. "So, you're not going tonight then?"

Pogue's demeanor softened, realizing that was the closest thing to an apology he was going to get from the blond.

"No, that was my last class so I'm gonna head home."

"Suit yourself." Reid shrugged.

Pogue looked over at Tyler once again and leaned closer to Reid. "Look, if you absolutely have too _use_, don't do it in front of him okay."

Reid rolled his eyes and nodded. "Duh, I know."

Pogue glared at him again and then moved his attention back towards Tyler who was still staring down at the floor.

"You have a fun night." He said and patted Tyler on the shoulder, forcing the other teen to look up at him.

Tyler composed himself and nodded. "Yeah, we will."

Pogue gave him a small wink as he slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed out towards the campus garages.

--

The loud rumble of his Ducati and the scenery of the open road was just what Pogue needed to get to his head back in order.

His walk across the campus was not a pleasant one with tons of people who were thinking really loud passing him left and right. Over the painful thumping of his skull he was able to determine that at least three girls and one guy –much to his amazement- thought he was cute, five people were overly stressed out and Aaron Abbot glared dangerously at him while throwing tons of negative emotions the empath's way.

Pogue shook his head and kept his eyes on the road in front of him. He hated his new powers. He knew he'd never be able to fully control them; not even with Gorman's teaching would the painful headaches ever stop. The dorms became too much for him to handle immediately after his _ascension_, preventing him from sleeping and doing anything else other then howl from the feeling of thousands of emotions from hundreds of people he could never see scratching and clawing at the inside of his skull. His only choice was solitude, he knew he'd never be able to stand being around a large group of people ever again or be able to keep himself sane at social gatherings. Although there were tons of people living in the apartment complex he chose, he found himself easily able to block them since the residents were farther away and kept everything - including their emotions - to themselves.

He shifted gears and twisted the throttle a few times, smiling when his bike roared loudly and went faster. He loved racing around with his Ducati, even though Caleb always made fun of him for doing it.

(Caleb...)

Pogue's heart slowly constricted inside of his chest, it always did when someone mentioned Caleb's name. He missed him, in more ways then one. The four of them were always close, but Caleb was the only one Pogue felt really understood him. Whenever something was bothering him, Caleb would always be the first one to notice and Pogue never hid anything from him. Well, he managed to hide one thing from Caleb... how special the other teen really was to him. Caleb was his main source of comfort since both of his parents passed away, leaving Pogue completely alone in the world when he was fifteen.

He managed to get by, thanks to his powers, his parents' trust find, and the Danvers family. Evelyn always treated him like he was her second son, as did William when the elder was alive and Caleb was his rock; the one who kept him in school and kept his moral up when he felt like no one gave a damn about him. It was only a matter of time before Pogue's feelings towards Caleb turned into more then just "brotherly".

When the realization of these feelings dawned on him, it was only natural for him to be afraid of them. So he hid behind Kate, silently hoping that they would pass...but they didn't. He still felt as deeply for Caleb as he did when he first fell in love with him and started dreading his relationship with Kate at the same time. Their relationship finally came to it's confusing and rough end a week after Caleb's disappearance and Kate hadn't even spoken one word to him since, hating him for withdrawing from her and the life she drug him into.

(Caleb... where are you?)

Pogue snapped out of his thoughts when his eyes located something in the middle of the road. It grew larger as his bike sped closer towards it and Pogue soon saw that it was human. His bike drew closer and closer and when his eyes got a clear look at, it all of Pogue's senses came to a screeching halt.

It was Caleb!

Pogue's hand immediately reached for the break leaver only to discover that it wasn't working. His finger kept pulling the leaver back but the Ducati kept its current speed. Pogue started to panic, he tired killing the throttle but that didn't work either. He raised his head one more time and saw that he was only a hundred feet away from colliding with Caleb.

As his bike drew nearer, Caleb's eyes went black and before Pogue could grab the handles, they turned sideways sharply, forcing his bike down on its side.

Pogue tried to hang on as best as he could but the impact knocked him off the seat and his body blindly slid across the road into a ditch. His head painfully hit the underside of his bike and if he wasn't wearing his helmet, the impact would've been more then enough to kill him. Pain shot threw his head and down the side of his neck and that was the last conscious thing he felt before his vision slowly turned black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"_We're sorry, the number you're trying to reach is not in service at this time. Please hang up and try your call again."_

"Dammit." Tyler growled and pressed the _end_ button on his cell phone.

Would it kill Pogue to turn his phone on for once in his life?

Tyler re-dialed the number and waited as the line started to ring again. He waited for a few seconds and then heard the annoying female voice saying the number wasn't in service again.

"He's still not answering?" Reid asked a few feet away, digging out some clothing from his dresser.

"No." Tyler sighed and closed his phone. "I'm getting worried."

Reid shrugged. "Ah don't be. He probably just turned his phone off like he does every night."

"Yeah I know. I just have this weird feeling all of a sudden." Tyler sighed as he sat down on his bed.

"It's probably nothing Tyler. You know how Pogue gets..." Reid said as he lifted his shirt over his head.

"Yeah you're probably right–" Tyler's voice broke for some reason and a light blush settled on his checks.

For some reason he always acted this way whenever Reid was undressing. He couldn't stop his eyes from gliding over the tight skin of Reid's back. The way his muscles strained as he moved, the black arms of his tribal tattoo on his shoulder slowly expanding.

Tyler blinked and shook his head. He really needed to stop this. It wasn't normal.

(What do you know about _normal_ anyway?)

"Well, I'm gonna take a shower, you gonna try his number again?" Reid pulled out an old pair of jeans and grabbed his towel off his bed.

Tyler blinked and quickly gathered himself. "I think I'm just gonna go over there, just to make sure."

Reid rolled his eyes. "Dude, I'm telling you it's nothing. He's probably in another one his moods and doesn't want to talk to anyone of us."

"Well, I have something I wanted to ask him anyway." Tyler replied and walked over towards his desk in search of his keys.

"Alright, whatever." Reid said as he gathered up his shower stuff and left their dorm room.

Tyler sighed when he heard Reid's footsteps fading and grabbed his jacket off its hanger. He didn't bother locking their door since Reid was only down the hall, and made his way towards the main staircase.

He passed a few people on the way down to the fist floor, none of them made any eye contact with him and Tyler tried not to let it get to him. Hardly anyone noticed him anyways, unless he was with Reid and that was usually because the two them were in trouble for something.

He jumped down the last stair and headed down the long hall towards the lobby. His steps slowed slightly when his eyes located Aaron Abbot and his usual group of friends. Tyler swallowed slightly and continued walking, trying not to look at them. Aaron didn't even notice him, a fact that Tyler was always grateful for. Aaron never noticed him unless he was either with Reid or Caleb anyway and that always surprised him.

(After all, if it wasn't for you Aaron wouldn't have that lovely scar on his forehead.)

Tyler shook his head and sped up his pace, hoping that his memories wouldn't catch up with him. That night at Nicky's... all the ear-shattering screams... it was all his fault.

He pushed the large wooden doors open and began following the gravel path towards the student garages.

--

Pogue whimpered quietly as he tightly hugged his arms around himself.

He was so cold. He shivered violently and tried rubbing his hands up and down his chest, his lungs felt like they were on fire because the air around him was so thick. He was back in the stone-walled room again, except this time none of the candles were lit. He tried looking for the hooded figure only to discover that he wasn't there, Pogue was complete alone in the dark, empty room.

"Hello?" Pogue looked around him, trying to find the dark figure. "Hello –"

All at once the room was filled with bright light and Pogue was forced to shield his eyes in the crook of his arm. After a moment, Pogue raised his head and blinked until his surroundings came into focus. No longer was he in the dark stone room; there was white all around him, the floor, the walls, the ceiling.

After a further study of his surrounds, Pogue soon realized that he was standing in a hospital.

"_We can't beat him."_

Pogue frowned. That was his voice. He turned his head and gasped at the sight that awaited him. It was himself laying up right in a bed. Tons of machines surrounded his bed and countless tubes where fed into his arm but none of that was his main concern at the moment. It was person kneeling over the bed that got Pogue's full attention.

(Caleb?)

Pogue's chest tightened again. It was Caleb.

"_He's more powerful then you can imagine." _The broken version of himself spoke from the bed, his voice scratchy and worn.

Caleb leaned closer. _"Don't worry about that."_

"_We can't beat him."_

Caleb didn't reply, he only stared down at him and forced a small smile.

"_Get some rest."_

Pogue watched as the second version of himself slowly close his eyes and fall asleep. Caleb smiled at him once more before he stood up and left the room. Still entranced, Pogue tried to follow him but an unknown forced kept him rooted to the spot.

(Caleb...)

Pogue looked back down at himself lying in the hospital bed and realization soon dawned on him. This was a memory, his memory, which would explain why he was literally looking down on himself and why he couldn't follow Caleb, no matter how much he wanted too; this was his memory after all... this was the last time he ever saw Caleb.

"_Pogue."_

Pogue groaned and touched the side of his head. That voice sounded like Caleb's.

"_Pogue!" _

Pogue's vision went blurry as intense pain shot through his skull, like someone just hit him with a lead pipe. Caleb's voice grew louder.

"_Pogue you have to stop him! Please!"_

"Stop it, Stop!" Pogue screamed and fell to his knees.

"_Pogue help me!"_

"Stop!"

Tears started running from his eyes as the pain grew more intense and soon he collapsed onto the cold ties of the hospital floor.

--

"Pogue."

Pogue groaned. Every part of his body was in pain. His back felt like it was on fire, he couldn't move his right leg and there was still a painful ringing inside of his skull.

"Pogue wake up!"

That voice...it sounded familiar, but whose was it? Pogue tried to open his eyes but it was futile. His eye-lids were just too heavy at the moment.

"Pogue!"

The voice grew frantic and Pogue could feel someone shaking his shoulder. It took all of Pogue's strength to muster up a strangled groan to signal that he was still alive.

"Pogue, please open your eyes...dammit."

Something warm pressed against the side of Pogue's head, judging from the small size he guessed it was a hand. It gently rubbed the side of his forehead and after a few moments, more warmth quickly spread through Pogue's whole body.

It was remarkable; the sharp pain in his skull and the burning sensation on his back quickly faded and was replaced with a warm tingle that stayed inside of his body. He found the strength to open his eyes and when they fully focused, he studied his surroundings. He was in a ditch off to the side of the road. His bike lay a few feet away from him, and there was a long trail of yellow body work that led from the center of the road towards it.

"Pogue?"

Pogue slowly moved his eyes until he was looking at the person standing over him. It was Tyler.

"Tyler...?"

"Thank god." Tyler sighed loudly. "Thought I lost you there for a minute."

"What...happened?"

"I should be asking you that." Tyler replied as he tried to help Pogue sit up. "I was just driving by and saw pieces of your bike littered all over the place. Did you hit something?"

Pogue thought for a moment, trying to recall what happened. He remembered talking to Reid and Tyler before he left the campus and he was heading home when...

"Caleb."

Tyler frowned at him. "What?"

"I just saw Caleb."

"You what?" Tyler blinked.

"I saw Caleb, that's why I crashed."

"You saw Caleb?"

"Yes, he was right there!" Pogue groaned and pointed at the road.

Tyler looked over his should at the spot that Pogue pointed at. "Caleb was right there?"

"Yes!"

Tyler was quiet for a long time before he turned his gaze back on Pogue. "How's your head doing? Looks like you hit it pretty bad."

Pogue frowned at him. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"Pogue, you hit your head really hard. You were probably just seeing things." Tyler replied. "Now come on, let's get you off the side of the road before you become complete road kill."

Pogue nodded quietly, still staring at the spot on the road where he saw Caleb. He knew he wasn't imaging things, Caleb was really there. Pogue was sure of it.

"Okay, we'll do this on three." Tyler said as he slung Pogue's arm over his shoulder. "One, two, three–"

Tyler stood up and slowly pulled Pogue on his feet. He continued holding on to him, making sure Pogue's leg could support his full weight.

"How's your leg feeling?"

"It's okay I guess, I think I can walk on it..." Pogue trailed off when a thought dawned on him. "You healed me didn't you?"

Tyler looked at him shyly and nodded. "Yeah, I did. I couldn't get you to wake up any other way. You're not completely healed but I tried to patch you up as best as I could for now."

Pogue summoned up enough strength to smile. "Thanks Tyler."

"You're welcome." Tyler replied as he helped carry Pogue towards his Hummer.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"How's your leg holding up?" Tyler asked from the driver's seat.

Pogue opened his eyes and raised his head off the passenger's side window. "It's okay. It's not hurting anymore."

Tyler looked over at him, making sure at least one eye was still watching the road in front of him. "How's your head?"

Pogue moaned as an answer. His head still felt like someone was ringing a church bell inside of it.

"That bad, huh?"

"Mmh." Pogue grunted and closed his eyes again.

"Pogue." Tyler shook his arm. "You need to stay awake; you probably still have a concussion."

Pogue moaned again and shifted around in the passenger's seat until he was sitting upward. "Where are we going anyway?"

"Gorman's." Tyler said as he turned his full attention back on the road.

"Why the hell are we going there?"

"Because you're still hurt and Gorman's a better healer then I am."

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"I'm not going to Gorman's."

Tyler glared at him. "Too bad, I'm already half way there."

"Then just turn around and take me home." Pogue groaned.

"No, you're still hurt."

"Dammit Tyler just fucking take me home!"

Tyler didn't say anything, he just pressed down harder on the gas, completely ignoring Pogue.

"Goddammit Tyler." Pogue swore and turned away from him.

Tyler continued to ignore him as he sped up, the H2 roaring as it changed gears. Pogue remained silent. He could feel the frustration and anger poring off of Tyler in huge waves that completely clouded his mind. He tried to tune them out but Tyler's anger was just too strong. A long silence settled in-between the two of them and then the throbbing inside his skull became too much.

"I'm sorry." Pogue sighed.

Tyler gave him a long look before he relied. "It's alright."

All at once the anger drained from inside Pogue's head as Tyler slowly calmed down. The Hummer came to a stop a few minutes later in front of the ancient colony house that Gorman lived in. Pogue frowned at the sight, he hated this place. There were too many memories here and most of them involved Caleb. Tyler killed the engine and slid out of the driver's side door. Because of the heavy darkness that surrounded the vehicle Pogue couldn't see him but, he could hear his footsteps running around the front of the H2 towards his side.

Tyler opened the passenger's side door and un-latched Pogue's seatbelt for him.

"Okay, let's do this on three again..." He tossed Pogue's right arm over his shoulder. "One, two, three!"

Pogue pushed himself off the seat and tried to help out Tyler as much as he could on his way down to the ground. Thankfully Tyler didn't lose his footing and drop him.

"It just hope it's too dark for Gorman to shoot at us." Tyler chuckled, trying to lighten the situation.

"Hang on..." Pogue replied and cleared his head, trying to see if he could feel anything.

At first, all he could feel was Tyler's nervousness but after he focused he started to feel a rough presence in the air around them. It too was touching the air curiously and a moment later, Pogue the presence withdraw. He didn't even need to guess who it was, Gorman's powers were always easy enough for him to recognize.

"He knows we're here."

Tyler gave him a confused look before he shrugged "Well that makes this easier."

The two of them hobbled up the dirt pathway until they came to the house's large stoop. Gorman was standing in the open doorway watching both boys closely.

"A bit late isn't it boys?"

Pogue shot him an annoyed look as Tyler hauled him up the steps however, Gorman's face remained expressionless.

"Pogue's hurt." Tyler replied as he dragged Pogue into Gorman's eyesight.

Gorman didn't say anything, just gave Pogue a tired look and motioned for the two of them to come inside. Tyler nodded at him and helped Pogue limp his way into the old house.

"First room on your right." Gorman said as he closed the door behind them.

He slid Pogue's other arm around his shoulder and helped Tyler carry the hurt teen towards one of the many bedrooms in the colony house. Pogue grumbled the entire way, hating the fact that both of them were babying him like this. He could make to the damn room perfectly on his own. Well maybe not, but did they have to make a big deal out of this?

"Set him down there." Gorman pointed towards one of the beds.

Tyler did so and gently rolled up the leg of Pogue's jeans. Pogue leaned forwards and groaned when he got a good look at his leg. It was completely swollen and from the looks of it, there was a bone poking against the skin.

"Let me look at it." Gorman said as he knelt down near Pogue's broken leg.

Both Tyler and Pogue watched quietly as Gorman looked it over and hummed a few times. After a few moments his silence became too much for Pogue to bear.

"Can you fix it or not?"

Gorman looked up at him. "These are some serious injuries Pogue, how did you get them?"

"He crashed." Tyler said, still watching Gorman examine Pogue.

Pogue rolled his eyes and waited for Gorman to finish looking his leg over. "Can you heal me or not?"

"As a matter of fact I can, if you'd just be patient." Gorman replied and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. "Try to hold still."

Pogue nodded and leaned back on his hands as Gorman gently rubbed his hands together and then placed them on his bruised leg. Once again a soft warmth started spreading through Pogue's body. He sighed, feeling the painful throbbing from his leg faded away.

"There we are." Gorman said as he finished tending to Pogue's leg and stood up. "Any other areas I should look over?"

"My head..." Pogue groaned and lightly touched his forehead.

Gorman's hands immediately pressed against the side of his head and Pogue sighed as the warmth continued flowing through his body.

"There we are. Good as new."

Pogue blinked his eyes a few times, testing his vision before taking a close look at his leg. It was perfect, no swelling or bruising. He slowly slid to his feet and tested his leg, making sure it would hold his weight properly. It did so without complaint; he was completely healed.

Gorman watched him for a moment before he turned to Tyler. "I suspect that Reid is wondering where the two of you are."

Tyler looked at him confused and then picked up the hint. "Oh, um, I'll go call him."

Giving both of them a shy look, Tyler slowly headed out the door into the living room.

"I suppose a 'Thank You' is out of the question?"

Pogue shrugged. "Uh, thanks."

Gorman scowled at him and sighed. "So what's the excuse this time? Did you get pushed off road by Aaron Abbot's car again?"

"No, I saw something."

Gorman raised an eyebrow. "And?"

Pogue thought for a moment, debating on wither or not he should tell Gorman the truth. After, if Tyler didn't believe him he seriously doubted the Gorman would.

"It was a dog or something, it ran across the road and I tried to avoid it."

The second he finished his statement he could feel Gorman power feeling around the side of his head.

"Pogue, tell me the truth."

Pogue cursed inwardly. He knew well enough that you couldn't hide anything from empath, especially one as powerful as Gorman.

"Fine, it was nothing, I just lost control of my bike. Agh!"

Pogue yelped and touched the side of his head as Gorman's emotions flooded through it.

"You haven't been practicing have you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Pogue snapped as his head started pounding.

"Pogue, how many times must I tell you, its going–"

"To be unpleasant unless I can get it under control." Pogue finished still holding the side of his head.

"Precisely, that's why I wanted you to stay here so I could help you control it."

"I don't wanna control it; I want it to go away!" Pogue yelled as his head started throbbing again. "You think I like being around large groups of people and getting splitting headaches all the time?"

Gorman withdrew all of his emotions and Pogue sighed quietly as the pain subsided. He heard Gorman's footsteps walking closer towards him.

"Why must you insist on fighting me?" He asked quietly as he placed his cold hands on Pogue's shoulder. "I'm not doing this to antagonize you."

Pogue didn't answer him; he just kept staring down at the old wooden floor. He felt Gorman searching his feelings once more and forced his mind to block him out. Gorman felt this and sighed quietly.

"Always a fighter, just like your grandfather." Gorman forced a small grin. "Your father never gave me half as much trouble as he did."

Pogue looked up at him. "You knew–"

"I'm a lot older then you think I am boy." Gorman winked.

Pogue tried to smile but couldn't bring himself to. Anytime someone mentioned his family all of his nerves just shut down, a habit he programmed into himself a week after the funerals. He missed all of them, his father and mother, his grandfather who disappeared when he was five and of course, Caleb who was closest thing to family he had in a long time.

"I saw Caleb."

Pogue froze when he realized what just came out of his mouth.

All of the color drained from Gorman's face. "What?"

"I was on my way home when I saw something in the road..." Pogue paused and looked at Gorman. "It was Caleb."

Gorman remained quiet as he stared at him. A strong feeling echoed around inside of Pogue's head;it was Fear.

"You saw Caleb?"

"He attacked me."

The feeling grew more powerful.

Gorman slowly turned away from him. "I think you should go home, you're going to need some rest in order for you to fully recover."

"What?"

Gorman gave him a stern look over his shoulder. "I want you to keep practicing tuning people out. You find that it'll be easier to be around them then."

With that, the elder left the room, leaving Pogue behind.

"What the fuck Gorman?"

There was no answer and Pogue growled loudly as he heading into the main room in search of Tyler.

--

Gorman watched from the second-story window as Tyler's jeep slowly pulled out and set off down the dirt road.

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose gently.

"It's just as I feared." He whispered quietly into the darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

Damn this chapter took forever! I'm sorry I took so long to update. I made the mistake of buying the Eragon book and damn that thing is guild to my hand. I hope the part at the end doesn't confuse anyone, just remember its three different people talking.

**Chapter 5**

"You alright?"

Pogue turned his hate-filled glare towards Tyler, making the younger boy flinch. "What the hell do you think?"

Tyler jumped slightly and remained quiet. Guilt started seeping into Pogue's heart when the younger boy's fear and unease touched his mind but the empath was too enraged to care. Fucking Gorman; he should've known the elder wouldn't have passed up a chance to fuck around with his head.

That's all he ever did to him.

Tyler cleared his throat nervously and waited until Pogue turned his head before he spoke.

"Do you want me to take you home?"

"Please." Pogue grumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

The whole right side of his head was pulsating. He felt like someone had just hit him with a ten pound hammer over and over again.

(Fucking Gorman)

"Which street do I turn off on?"

"Fifth." Pogue said in the middle of sorting through the mess inside his head.

Tyler nodded and turned off on the street Pogue pointed out.

"It's right there." Pogue pointed at the small apartment complex off towards the right side.

The throbbing inside of his head dulled slowly. He was back on familiar grounds; he could hopefully control himself now.

"Are you going to be okay?" Tyler asked as he parked the Jeep.

"I'll be okay in a few minutes."

Tyler looked him over. "You want me to stay?"

Pogue was about to refuse when he felt Tyler's concern wash over him. Even if he refused he knew that wouldn't completely get rid of the younger boy.

"If you want." He said as he slowly climbed out of the Hummer.

Tyler locked up and followed him quietly. Pogue staggered a few times on the way and Tyler was quick to grab him before he fell over.

"Here give me your keys." Tyler held out his hand as they reached Pogue's front door.

Pogue grumbled quietly and tossed his keys over at him. Tyler caught them with one hand and after a long moment of trying to see which key fit into the lock he had the door open.

"Home sweet home." Pogue sighed as he stumbled his way passed the front door. "All I have is a couch for you to sleep on."

"That's fine." Tyler said as he shut the front door and locked it behind them.

"There should be an extra blanket in the closet over there."

Tyler examined the couch and gave Pogue a blank look. "Looks comfy."

"Sleep on the floor for all I care." Pogue grumbled back.

He knew Tyler was just playing with him but at the moment, he was just too tired to care. Having your head messed with by a half-crazed geyser was a very exhausting event.

"I'm gonna get some sleep."

Tyler nodded at him. "You should, you look like shit."

"Thanks." Pogue waved over his shoulder as he headed into his bedroom.

He didn't even bother shutting the door as he made his way over towards his bed.

--

From the shadows Pogue watched quietly as a man across the street from him finished locking the front of the large building. He could hear the soft notes of the key-panel as the numbers were entered. The man waited until the numbers flashed red and then walked the short distance towards his car.

Pogue continued watching him and didn't leave the safety of the shadows until the man's car was well out of sight, and then he crossed the street. He completely ignored the key-panel and unlocked the front doors with a quick flash of his eyes. Cautiously he poked his head through the large double doors, looking for the security cameras. He located them and quickly disengaged them with his powers.

Once the cost was clear he shut the main doors and walked through the dark lobby. He ignored the signs that showed the layout of the building; he knew were to go.

He stopped in front of the elevators and growled when he noticed they were locked, he needed a card to access them. Swearing under his breath, he headed towards the main stairs. He only had to go two floors up anyway so it wasn't that big of a deal.

He climbed to the third floor as quickly as his legs could carry him. As he expected the door leading towards his floor was locked and another quick flash of his eyes it quietly sprung open for him. The hallway was sit lit so it wasn't much trouble for him to locate the room he was looking for.

He turned the handle on the door and entered the small lab. After a quick look around his eyes located the lab's main computer and turned it on. Using his powers he hacked into the file named "Patient Records" and tipped a name in; _Collins, Chase_

After waiting for a few seconds the computer brought the information up. He scanned the information and found what he was looking for. The computer printed the sheet out on his command and he tucked into his pocket as he walked over towards the one of the many cold tanks used for storing cold blood samples.

He pulled the top open on the one marked _C_ and started looking through the small vials. None of them were what he was looking for. He moved over towards the second one and once again looked through the names.

_Collins, Chase_.

A small grin came towards his face and he reached down and pulled the small vile from its holder. He read the name again, making sure it was the one he was looking for and quickly tucked it in his pocket.

Just as he was about to turn around he felt a light source fall on his back.

"Hey you!" A shaky voice said behind him.

Pogue turned around and glared at the security guard standing behind him. A dark look came towards his face as he slowly raised his hand.

The security guard eyed him closely. "Hey, what are you–"

That was all he got out because Pogue waved his hand and sent him flying across the room into one of the storage tanks. Pogue grinned and eyed the broken body coldly as he exited the room. He continued down the hallway, both thankful and annoyed that he didn't have another guard to play with.

He happily skipped down the stairs towards the first floor and once again passed through the main lobby. His eyes caught a glimpse of himself in the huge wall mirror behind the receptionist's desk and instantly did a double take.

It wasn't his reflection that stared back at him...it was Caleb's! He looked down at his hands, they weren't his. The clothing wasn't his either.

He was Caleb...

Just as the realization dawned on him he felt a powerful force attack his mind. Someone else was there with him and from the aggression of the attack it was clear they didn't want Pogue there. Pogue tried to fight against it. He wanted to stay connected with Caleb; he had too! He didn't know why but he felt like he needed to protect Caleb from this unknown intruder.

Suddenly the unknown presence pushed against his mind and spoke.

_Now, now, don't you know it's rude to pry into things that don't concern you?_

That voice...it wasn't Caleb's but it felt familiar, too familiar that it brought a chill to Pogue's spine.

"Who are you?" He asked, still sensing the presence around him.

He felt the presence push against him again.

_That's none of your concern. Now go run along with the rest of the little Ipswich boys._

"No." Pogue growled. "What the fuck are you doing with Caleb?"

There was a long silence before he felt the voice speak again.

_Don't concern yourself about him. He's mine now._

"What?"

_I said, get out!_

"No!" Pogue used his own mind to push against the entity.

_Get out!_

The presence pushed against him hard but Pogue fought to hold onto Caleb's mind. Somewhere close to him, Pogue felt another presence stir. It was weak but he felt it was there.

**Pogue?**

Pogue felt the presence grow angry and it used more force this time.

_Dammit, you woke him up! Get out! _

With one more hard push, Pogue felt his ties on Caleb's mind break. The world around him turned black as he floated farther and farther away from Caleb's mind. However, just before the darkness engulfed him once more the heard a soft voice call his name.

**Pogue, save me...**

--

Pogue's eyes snapped open as he felt his subconscious return to him. He was back in his bedroom. He slowly sat up and moaned, his mind basically felt like it was torn into thousands of tiny pieces.

"Pogue?"

Pogue looked up towards the door and saw that Tyler was standing there with concern on his face.

"Are you okay? I heard you cry out."

Pogue blinked a few times before he cleared his throat.

"Um, it's nothing, just had a bad dream."

Tyler stared at him quietly for a moment. "Okay, I was just wondering. You were yelling really loud."

Tyler gave him one more worried look before he left. Pogue heard his footsteps walk down the hallway and waited until he couldn't hear them anymore to let out the quiet sob that was wedged deep in his throat. That was Caleb's voice that called out to him.

Caleb was alive...


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The hot water rained down from the shower head and pounded down on Pogue's shoulders. A thick layer of steam hung throughout the small bathroom, completely fogging up the large glass mirror and the tiles under his hands. A deep sigh echoed in his throat. The water felt great against his tense shoulders and it loosened them up greatly but it did nothing to subdue his long train of thoughts.

(Caleb...)

Pogue sighed and dropped his head. Was that all just a dream? It felt like one but at the same time it almost felt real. Was it possible that he missed his friend that much for his mind to conger up that strange vision? No, it was real, he was damn sure of it. Caleb was alive somewhere...he could feel it.

"_Pogue, save me."_

A deep weight settled inside of Pogue's chest and he fought against a sob that was fighting its way up his throat. He knew that was Caleb's voice that cried out to him. It sounded so frightened and weak.

"_Pogue, save me."_

Save him from what? What was going on? What was Caleb so frightened of? And who was the second voice he heard?

"_Pogue, save me."_

"Save you from what?" Pogue yelled and pounded his fist against the wall, ignoring the pain that shot through his hand. "Where the hell are you?"

The only answer he received was the sound of the running shower head as the water pelted down on his bare shoulders. Moister started to gather on Pogue's cheek and it only took a few short seconds for him to realize that it were tears.

(Caleb...I'll find you. I swear I will.)

--

"Pogue. It's almost eight." Tyler yelled at the bathroom door.

He waited for a few seconds and knocked again when he didn't receive a reply.

"Pogue!"

Tyler was about to knock again when he heard Pogue yell from the other side.

"_Save you from what...where the hell are you?"_

Tyler paused and pressed his ear up against the door. Over the noise of the running water he could hear a loud pounding noise followed by a few quiet sobs.

(Is Pogue crying?)

He listened for a moment longer, his heart slowly swelling inside of his chest. Why was Pogue crying like that? What was wrong?

After listening silently for a few seconds longer Tyler sighed and pulled himself away from the door. Even though he was worried, he deiced to let Pogue have some privacy. After all he didn't like it when people fussed over him when he was upset.

After giving the bathroom door another curious look he slowly retreated down the hallway into Pogue's living room.

--

"Think you'll be able to sit through school today?"

Pogue shrugged and continued staring out the window at the passing scenery. "Probably not, but I don't really have a choice."

"Well, you can always stay home I guess."

"Not with my stellar grades." Pogue replied and continued gazing at the passing buildings.

He knew Tyler's eyes were on the back of his head again. The younger boy had been giving him concerned looks all morning and after the first few Pogue realized that Tyler probably heard his little crying fit in the shower. He started cursing himself afterwards for forgetting that the walls of his apartment were thin.

Soon the familiar stone gateway of Spencer came into Pogue's view and he had less then a second to prepare himself for the normal onslaught of teen angst that flooded through his head. Tyler drove into the student parking lot and a few minutes later and both boys started drifting towards their morning classes.

"So what was it about?" Tyler asked out of the blue.

"Hmm?" Pogue directed his gaze away from the gravel towards Tyler.

"What was your dream about?"

"It was nothing." Pogue sighed; he knew the younger boy would bring this up eventually.

"Well, it must have been something because you were yelling really loud."

"It was nothing Tyler. Really." Pogue sighed and stared down at his feet again. "It was just a nightmare."

Tyler's eyes darkened slightly and soon the dark feelings of fear and dread passed through Pogue's mind.

(Of course Tyler would know all about nightmares.)

"What was it about?" The younger boy asked quietly.

Pogue mentally kicked himself for walking into this conversation.

"Look Ty, seriously, it's nothing for you to worry about. People like me get nightmares a lot because we pick them up from other people."

Tyler swallowed slightly and his eyes were glossy when he looked at Pogue again.

"Have you ever picked up any of mine?"

(Yep, you walked strait into that one genius!)

"No." Pogue lied.

Tyler remained quiet and lowered his head. Pogue knew he didn't believe him; lying was something he wasn't really gifted at.

The rest of their walk was unbearably silent. Tyler's eyes never left the ground and Pogue elected to stay completely silent; fearful that he would upset Tyler even more. Pain, fear and anxiety were already scratching around inside of his head and the last thing they needed was more company. As they rounded the corner of the main building Pogue instantly recognized the blond lounging on the railing in front of the main door.

"There you are!" Reid groaned loudly and jumped down from the railing. "Where have you two losers been?"

"Don't ask." Pogue said, trying to force a smile.

"That bad huh?" Reid grinned and turned his attention towards Tyler and spoke in his usual smart-ass tone. "What's up baby boy, why are you so sad?"

Tyler lowered his head and brushed passed the two of them and headed into the building.

"Jeez, what's got him all bitchy?"

"Reid, you fucking idiot." Pogue sighed and brought a hand to his forehead.

--

"What'd you get for number five?"

Pogue diverted his attention away from the book he was reading and skimmed down his worksheet.

"The Crimson Tome called for three main items to work properly. The blood of the warrior fallen and of the enemy who slew him, four talismans; each representing a cardinal direction and a stone called _The Nexus Stone_."

Reid scribbled most of Pogue's statement down before looking up. "Uh, that's more then three things."

"Well that's what the damn book says. I guess you have to combine most them." Pogue shrugged and went back to his own homework.

Reid sighed and pushed his history book to the side. "Why do we have to look up all this shit anyway? How the hell is this going to be important in the Real World?"

"Don't know, but it's important to us because we're both failing this damn class."

Reid grumbled and buried his head in his folded arms. Pogue glared at him and grumpily went back to his homework. The Librarian brushed by their table a few times on her way towards the "History and Culture of Ipswich" section but aside from that, no one wandered near their corner of the Library.

"What's a good answer for six?" Reid asked a moment later.

Once again Pogue looked away from his book and read his answer to the blond. "The Crimson Tome was only preformed on a night when there was a full moon."

Reid quietly wrote the answer down and dotted his sentence angrily. "Where the hell's Tyler at? He's the one getting the A in this damn class."

"What, I'm not good enough for you to copy off of?"

"No, you're worse then me at this junk."

"Gee, that hurt." Pogue chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "I dunno I haven't seen Tyler since this morning. You told him we were meeting here right?"

"Yes!" Reid said as he tried to find the answer to his next question.

"Well, we're in a good mood."

"Kiss my ass." Reid grumbled, giving up on finding the answer to the next question on his list.

"Love too darlin'." Pogue chuckled.

Reid's pencil bounced of his shoulder and landed on the table with a quiet thud. Pogue picked it up and threw it back at him.

"You throw like a girl."

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!" Reid growled and once again tossed the pencil at him.

Pogue ducked and the pencil sailed over his head and hit the person walking towards them.

"Hey!"

Both boys turned their heads and saw Tyler standing behind them reaching for the pencil that hit him.

"There you are!" Reid yawned as he stretched. "Where the hell you been?"

"Sorry, my math class ran long." Tyler said as he spun the chair next to Reid around and sat in it. "How's the homework going?"

"Oh perfect, Pogue and I have already accepted the fact that both of us are going to fail this damn class."

"What the hell do mean _we?_ I only have to bring my grade up a few more points to pass." Pogue said, trying to keep the proud look off his face.

Reid sighed and thumped his head against the table loudly. "Fine, I've accepted the fact that _I'm_ gonna fail this damn class."

"You're not going to fail." Tyler said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Mind if I take a look?"

Reid didn't even raise his head. "Knock yourself out baby boy."

Tyler shook his head and pulled Reid's worksheet over towards himself. He was quiet for several moments before he reached for Reid's pencil and started scratching some of his answers out.

"Number three's wrong... four is way off...what the– Reid this isn't even a real word." Tyler sighed loudly and started digging through his school bag and pulled his own worksheet out. "Here, just copy mine."

Reid raised his head and blinked. "Seriously?"

"Well I wouldn't be a true friend if I let you turn that in."

Reid grinning and threw his arms around Tyler.

"Oh baby boy I love you!"

"Hey! Get off of me!" Tyler yelped and tried to fight the blond off.

"Come on, you know you like it." Reid laughed evilly and tightened his grip on the younger boy.

"Ugh. I'm surrounded by children." Pogue groaned loudly and started shoving his books into his bag. "Are you two done over there?"

"Yeah Reid, get off!"

Reid pouted and released his arms from Tyler's shoulders. He gathered his stuff up as well and the three of them left the library.

"Do you need a lift home?" Tyler asked as they made their way down the empty hall.

"Yeah." Pogue replied gruffly. "Hopefully I can get my bike fixed soon."

"What happened to your bike?" Reid asked behind him.

Tyler was about to respond when Pogue cut him off.

"I crashed it again."

He heard Reid mumble a few things behind him but the blond didn't ask any further questions. They rounded a corner and halfway down the connecting hallway Pogue's head started throbbing. He groaned and touched the side of his head.

Tyler stopped next to him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Someone's around here, that's all." Pogue replied as he tried to focus on the feelings that invaded his mind. "Fuck, its Aaron."

"Oh great." Reid groaned. "Doesn't he have anything better to do?"

"Apparently not." Pogue sighed and continued walking.

Reid moved up in-between him and Tyler as they neared the main doors. Sure enough, Aaron Abbot and two of his friends where standing off to the side of it.

"Well, lookie here boys. It's the Ipswich bitches."

Aaron's two friends laughed loudly.

"Wow Aaron, spend all day thinking that one up?" Reid asked in his usual smart-ass way.

Aaron's eyes lowered as he approached the group.

"So, where's the almighty Caleb been lately? You know finals are only a month away?"

"Are you gonna move Aaron or do I have to move you myself?" Pogue growled, getting annoyed.

Aaron looked taken back by Pogue's brash behavior but it was short lived.

"Come on tough guy. Why don't you show me that not all of you Ipswich girls are fags and can actually fight, unlike Garwin and Sims over there?"

Pogue felt the anger that coursed through Reid's veins and instinctively held his arm out to block Reid from rushing Aaron.

"I'm giving you one last chance Aaron. Stop being a prick and get the hell out of the way."

"Why don't you fucking make me Perry! Stop being a pussy like Caleb and fucking do something or–"

Before Pogue could blink Aaron's body was thrown back against the wall forcefully, along with his two friends. All three bodies slid to the ground and fell over with a loud thump.

"Reid!" Pogue yelled and whipped his head around.

He was about to yell some more when he noticed that Reid's eyes were normal and he was standing there looking just as shocked as Pogue was.

"It wasn't me."

Pogue blinked and turned his head towards Tyler and froze. The younger boy's eyes were black as coal and his fists were clenched together tightly.

"Tyler..."

Apparently Tyler didn't hear him; his eyes were still locked onto Aaron's unconscious frame, waiting for any sign of movement. Dark thoughts started swirling around inside of Pogue's mind as he tried mentally to reach him. Anger, disgust, resentment... the list went on and on.

Pogue stepped towards him and shook the other boy's shoulders forcefully.

"Tyler!"

Tyler's body jerked awake and his eyes soon faded to his normal color as he was pulled out of his trance like state. His eyes wandered towards the sight of Aaron and his friends and his body completely froze.

"Tyler."

A quiet gasp came from Tyler's mouth as he slowly backed away from the sight he just caused. A new emotion touched Pogue's mind. _Fear_.

"Oh shit." Pogue whispered and moved closer to the frightened teen. "Tyler look at me."

Tyler's eyes were still on Aaron but he looked away when Pogue shook him once again.

"Pogue–"

Somewhere down the hall a door opened. Pogue swore loudly as he saw someone's shadow round the corner.

Reid shifted his eyes and snapped his fingers quickly and the sound of it echoed around inside of Pogue's head, forcing him to close his eyes. When he opened them he saw the hall had dawned a cold grey lighting and two female students frozen in mid-stride as they rounded the corner.

(Reid's a godsend sometimes.)

Pogue sighed relieved and glanced over his shoulder at Reid. "How long can you hold that?"

"A few seconds." Reid replied, keeping all of his focus on holding everything in place.

Pogue nodded and grabbed Tyler around the shoulder and herded him towards the doorway. Reid lingered for a few moments before backing towards the front doors and releasing his hold on the space around him.

He snapped his fingers one last time and dashed out the door after his friends.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"I did it again. I did it again." Tyler sobbed loudly into Pogue's shoulder.

"It's okay Tyler." Pogue said softly, trying to clam the younger boy down. "Aaron's gonna be fine. It's alright."

"Yeah Tyler, Aaron still doesn't remember the last time." Reid spoke from his bed, watching the other two.

"Reid!" Pogue growled loudly as Tyler's fingers clutched his shoulder tighter.

"What?" The blond shrugged and looked at him confused.

Pogue rolled his eyes and continued running his hand up and down Tyler's back soothingly. He hoped the younger boy would pull himself together soon but from all of the distress and fear waves he was picking up he seriously doubted it.

"Tyler, look at me." Pogue waited until Tyler moved his head away from his shoulder before he continued. "It wasn't your fault. You did nothing wrong. Okay?"

Tyler gave him a long look before he moved away from him. Pogue fought the urge to roll his eyes at himself. He knew he was horrible at comforting people, something Kate was always on his ass about when they were together.

Fear and distress were still pouring off of the younger Covenant member as Tyler brought his knees to his chest and curled his arms around them tightly. Pogue's heart wrenched at the sight. He hated seeing Tyler like this; he hated _feeling_ it even more. He was about to move back over towards the younger boy when Reid get up off his bed and flop down next to the upset teen.

"Look baby-boy, it's gonna be alright. Just calm down." The blond cooed as he slid an arm around Tyler's shoulders.

Tyler's shoulders tensed when he felt Reid touch him but other then that the younger boy kept completely still and quiet. Even when Reid pulled him closer Tyler still stayed curled in his little ball.

After a moment, the pressure inside of Pogue's mind started to fade as Tyler slowly started to calm down. Pogue sighed softly, relieved that his mind was slowly returning to normal. Well almost normal. There were still a few feelings bouncing around inside of his head and he was having a hard time trying to figure out what they were.

"There we are." Reid smiled as Tyler looked up at him.

Tyler blinked and stayed silent. His eyes were still red and puffy but he looked like he was done crying for a while. He wasn't broadcasting any emotions either, another thing that Pogue was thankful for.

"I know, how about a trip to Nicky's? My treat."

Reid's smile was still plastered to his face as he waited for Tyler's answer. The younger boy was still huddled in ball but after a few moments he nodded.

"Whatever." Came Tyler's defeated whisper.

Reid winked at Pogue triumphantly as he slid off Tyler's bed. Pogue rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Well, looks like you boys should have a fun night."

Tyler jerked his head up. "You're not coming?"

Pogue shook his head. "Nah, I'm not really feeling up to being around five hundred drunk people who can't control their emotions."

"But that's the best part." Reid laughed as he started going through his dresser.

Pogue rolled his eyes at the blonde. "For you maybe. You don't feel it pounding against your head."

Tyler stared at him quietly the whole time and drew his knees closer. Pogue saw this and crouched down near him.

"It's okay Tyler; you two go and have a good time."

Tyler shrugged and lowered his head. "Okay."

Pogue smiled at him but Tyler didn't return it. The younger boy just ignored him and rested his head against his knee. The eldest teen sighed quietly and stood up.

"Make sure he has some fun, alright." He whispered to Reid as he passed the blonde on his way to the door.

"Oh come on, this is me you're talking to." Reid scoffed as Pogue opened the room door.

Pogue gave them both one more look over his shoulder before he stepped out into the main hallway. He lingered in front of Reid and Tyler's door for a moment, seeing if he'd pick up anything. He felt some excitement coming from the blonde, but nothing from Tyler.

He waited for another moment and then left, feeling frustrated.

--

Pogue sighed deeply and watched as the mist from his breath fogged up the large window next to his head. The large engine of the buss roared to life under his feet and soon he felt the large metal giant he was riding in pull away from the curb and onto the main road.

Normally public transportation wasn't his first choice of getting around but with his bike in the shop he didn't have much of a choice. He got lucky this time because the buss was only occupied by a small handful of people and none of them were projecting emotions strong enough to trouble him.

He leaned back in his seat and let his eyes drift closed. A few more stops and he'd be home. He was exhausted, mentally and physically. After letting out a loud yawn he wrapped his jacket tighter around his mid-section and curled up against the large window.

The quiet hum of the engine lulled him into a soft slumber. He could faintly hear movement around him as the buss pulled into another stop and people rose to get off. He paid them no mind, just curled up tighter against the window and waited for the world to slip from his grasp.

--

"You ever get the feeling that this isn't right?"

Pogue stopped scratching his name into the wooden surface of the picnic table and looked up when he heard Caleb speak.

"What isn't?"

The darker haired boy lowered his head slightly and stared at something on the ground.

"Us, the four of us having all of these powers. It doesn't seam right sometimes."

Pogue fought the urge to laugh. "What's wrong with it?"

Caleb sighed softly as he ran and hand through his hair. "Why do we have it? Why only the four of us?"

Pogue blinked and gave up on marking the table for the moment.

"I dunno Caleb we just do. We've had them ever sense we turned thirteen. It runs in the family blood I guess."

Pogue cursed after he finished. _"Family"_ and _"Powers_" were two words you never used in the same sentence with Caleb.

"I know..." Caleb sighed and looked over his shoulder at him. "Sorry. I'm just thinking too much, I guess."

"Worried about turning eighteen this year?"

Caleb smiled and locked his fingers together. "Is it that obvious?"

Even though Caleb played it off as a joke, Pogue could clearly see the worry in Caleb's deep brown eyes. He slid his legs out from under the table and crawled onto the wooden surface next to the older boy.

"You shouldn't worry about it man, Gorman said it'll be fine."

Caleb's head was still bowed and he played with his fingers nervously.

"I know."

Pogue's heart tightened as he gazed at his best friend. Caleb just looked so damn vulnerable in this state. His eyes were full of fear; signaling that he didn't believe Pogue's reassurances.

"Look man, it'll be okay. As long as the four of us stay together nothing's gonna happen."

The dark haired boy turned his head and forced a smile grin.

"Yeah, as long as we stay together...we'll be fine."

Pogue nodded and leaned back on his palms.

(As long as you're with me, I'll be fine...)

--

"Hey son. Wake up."

Pogue jerked awake as someone shook his shoulder roughly. He blinked a few times, trying to get his eyes to focus and turned his head. The buss drive stood a few feet away from him, looking slightly annoyed.

"Come on boy, end of the line."

Pogue raised his head and looked around. The buss was completely deserted expect for him and the buss driver.

"Oh, sorry man." Pogue yawned and grabbed his backpack off the seat.

The driver eyed him wearily as he stood up and headed to the front of the buss. He quieted another yawn as he neared the doors but stopped fully when his eyes noticed something on one of the seats. Pogue rubbed his eyes softly and reached down to grab the discarded paper sitting on the cushion.

"**Break -in at local clinic leaves one man dead."**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"_St. Michael's med center was broken into late Thursday night by an unknown assailant. Security cameras and the main alarm system all suffered mechanical failures so the assailant was not photographed. One night-watchman was murdered in the break-in but all that was stolen was one sample from one of the blood storage banks. The donator's name has not been identified and there are currently no leads on the assailant..."_

Pogue sighed and tossed the newspaper on the small coffee table in front of him. So the dream he had the other night was real. Caleb was alive...and he wasn't alone either. That thought gave Pogue a slight headache. He could clearly remember the dark presence that clouded Caleb's mind. He felt the malice pouring out of it's presence as it brushed against his own mind.

The fact that it was in control of his best friend was even worse.

Pogue sighed and massaged his temples gently. Another headache was coming on strong and he really didn't feel like dealing with it right now. He stretched out on the long couch and tried to focus his full attention on the TV screen in front of him. The channel he left it on was playing some crime drama and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't fully bring himself to pay attention to it. He was too exhausted to follow the plot line and soon he gave up and rolled over on his side away from the TV.

He really didn't want to fall asleep with his headache starting to come on like that but a small part of him wanted too in hopes of seeing Caleb again. That thought alone was enough to convince him and Pogue stopped fighting his exhaustion.

Soon his eyes drifted closed as sleep finally called him.

--

The darkness was suffocating.

It swam all around him, covering all of his surroundings in its depths, making Pogue feel completely isolated and alone. He swallowed deeply, feeling his throat starting to dry from his nervousness.

He didn't know where he was but he had a sinking feeling he wasn't alone.

He closed his eyes and tried expanding his mind, seeing if he could pick up any emotions around him. All at once they hit him, throwing their weight against the side of his head. Pain. Sorrow. Malice. Anger. It was all around him!

He fought against them and tried to seal himself away from their presence. They wouldn't let him. The emotions brushed against him so strongly it was making him scream. The pain was too intense; it felt like his head was being pulled five different ways.

He cried out and fell to his knees. Tears started falling down his face as he slumped forwards. The pain only grew more unbearable. He could feel their dark hands running through his mind, pulling here and there until he felt like his sanity was being stripped away from him.

He cried out once again and forced himself to fight against them. He formed mental locks around his subconscious and used his remaining strength to keep them up. The pain dimmed slightly as he fought against the darkness around him. Using all of his remaining energy he forcibly pushed them all away.

The relief washed over him for a moment. Pogue gathered himself and prepared for the emotions to come after him again but they didn't. He could still feel them there, they surrounded him but they were being held at bay by something. Cautiously he lowered his arms and raised his head. His vision was blurry from the pain and his tears but he could still see what held the darkness at bay.

It was a light, small but it was there. Just by looking at it he could feel its power but he couldn't tell what it was coming from. It moved closer to him, growing bigger with every step until it was right in front of Pogue's eyes.

_Don't give up._

Pogue stared at it in awe. The voice was coming from somewhere in his mind. It was familiar, very familiar but it was one he never heard in his head before.

"What?"

The light dimmed as the voice spoke into his head once again.

_I said, don't give up. If he feels you in here he'll kill you. But you can't let that stop you._

"I don't understand. Who?"

_The one who has reduced me to all of this and he'll destroy Caleb too if you don't stop him. _

At the mention of his friend's name, Pogue hardened.

"Where's Caleb!" He growled dangerously.

_He's all around you. This is his mind...at least what's left of it._

"What?" Pogue blinked. "This is– but how?"

The light dimmed again.

_You're here because I called you here._

On shaky legs, Pogue forced himself to stand. He shielded his eyes away from the white light as he spoke.

"Why?"

This time, the light didn't dim when it spoke. Instead a powerful presence pushed against Pogue's mind, almost knocking him off his feet.

_Because, you're the only one that can stop him! He'll kill Caleb and the rest of your Covenant unless you put an end to his retched life!_

Anger and disgust pierced the inside of Pogue's mind as the voice ragged, growing louder and louder.

_Stop him!_

Pain shot through Pogue's whole body as the light slowly started fading out, leaving him alone in the darkness once more.

--

Pogue jolted awake as a severe wave of pain shot through his right shoulder.

After releasing a loud moan he opened his eyes to discover that he was on the floor by the couch. The TV hummed quietly in the back ground but Pogue could hardly hear it over the sound of his frantic breathing.

He sat up gingerly, groaning at the pain from his shoulder. Apparently he must've rolled off his couch in the midst of his mental thrashing. His shoulder wasn't the only thing that hurt; his head felt like it had been ripped off and then sewn back on again.

(Was all that just another dream?)


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Pogue's eyes moved dangerously back and forth as he quietly walked up the long gravel driveway. Even though his destination was located in a very rural area he still felt like he needed to be cautious. After all, he wasn't a hundred percent sure it was abandoned.

The gravel soon leaded him towards a large black gate. His eyes turned black and the heavy metal creaked as it slowly swung open, allowing him entry. He snarled at the family name inscribed on the side of the metal doors as he moved through them.

_Danvers._

For some reason the name disgusted him. He snarled and continued on his way towards the large two-story house a hundred yards away. With a quick wave of his hand the doors unlocked and he quickly stepped inside.

Just as he expected the house was deserted. There wasn't enough light in the room for him to see clearly so he flashed his eyes again and turned the overhead chandler on. He observed the small foyer he was standing in as he for a moment. Many priceless items were scattered around its length. Upon closer inspection he realized that none of them were what he was looking for; the item that he wanted would be kept away somewhere, not put on display.

After turning into the living room he quickly located the stairs and climbed them to the second floor. Many family portraits adored the stairwell wall and he paused briefly at the last one. Caleb's warm amber eyes gazed out at him from the framed picture. Pogue's heart swelled, he missed those eyes. He missed the way they used to gaze at him with such pride and fondness. A quick second later he felt another emotion claw its way up, anger. His blood boiled just at the sight of this other boy. He resisted the urge to slam his fist against the frame's gold surface and continued up the staircase.

Once he was on the second floor he paused, looking at the many doorways. Which room would it be in? He decided to try the master bedroom first, the floorboards creaking under his feet as he crossed the hall. Just as he expected, the bedroom was large and richly decorated. The closet was only a few feet away from him so he searched there first. It was filled with a bunch of old clothes, small jewelry boxes and shoes. He searched the whole thing, top to bottom and snarled when he didn't find what he was looking for.

(Dammit William, where did you hide it?)

He fully searched the full length of the bedroom, swearing loudly when he came up empty handed. He moved to the next room, tearing it apart too in search for what he desired. Nothing! After a long drag of minutes, the only room left was Caleb's. He stalked into the empty room, pausing for a moment to let his eyes wander over its contents. Lot's of pictures decorated its walls, some of Caleb with his family - there was a large one on the desk to his right of Caleb with a man who resembled his appearance; his father more then likely - but the one that caught his attention was the small framed picture on his night stand. It showed Caleb sitting at a small table with Pogue, Reid and Tyler. The four of them where smiling at the camera and the large neon Nicky's sing was visible over their shoulders.

Pogue felt himself growl at the picture.

He resumed his search, slowly tearing the whole room apart until a flash of gold grabbed his attention. He currently in the middle of pulling things out of the large-walk in closet when a small gold pendent fell from the top shelf and clattered loudly on the floor. He moved closer and scooped it up. It was about the size of his hand and it was richly decorated with dark red gems. He turned it over and inspected the back where a small seal was carved into it.

(Finally...)

This was it. This was what he'd been tearing the whole house apart for. His lips curved into a smile as he held the item towards his chest.

"I'll be whole soon."

Suddenly the world around him seamed to come to a crashing halt. That wasn't his voice that spoke. Hesitantly, Pogue rose to his feet and turned the hand that held to the small pendant over. He stared down at the long fingers that curled around its gold frame; they weren't his.

(Not again...)

His stomach turned fearfully. He didn't need a mirror to tell him he was inside of Caleb once again. He used his mind to feel around him, searching for the hostile presence that repelled him last time. He felt it a moment later; apparently it didn't realize he was there until now.

_You again?_

Pogue's head started to throb painfully as the unknown assailant tried to push him out. He forced himself to hold on to the link and he held firm. The presence snarled.

_You're a persistent one!_

"Who the hell are you!?" Pogue shouted subconsciously.

He heard the presence laugh.

_Who do you think I am? I'm Caleb._

"No you're not! You're just controlling him."

Another laugh.

_So what if I am? What do __**you**__ plan to do about it?_

Pogue was taken back by that question. Could he really fight this thing? He remained silent and focused all of his attention on feeling around his mental field. Caleb had to be in here somewhere; he was there last time.

_Ah-ah-ah!_ _He's not going to interfere this time. _

Pogue yelped as a burning pain spread through his skull. He could hear laughter ringing inside of his head. It was blocking him from going any farther.

"What do you want!?" Pogue yelled.

The pain was driving him crazy. He wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.

The voice was silent for a long time before it answered.

_What is it that you want Pogue?_

Pogue's blood froze. It knew his name?

"How do you know–"

_You're name? Please, I know just about everything about you._

"How?"

He already knew the answer even before the voice answered.

_From Caleb of course. He learned a long time ago that he can't hide anything from me._

There was something about the cold tone the voice used that enraged Pogue.

"If you fucking hurt Caleb I swear I'll kill you!"

For a few moments there was silence but then the voice spoke again, it's voice dripping with malice.

_Hurt him? You mean like this?_

Pogue felt a jolt travel through his body a moment later. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the pain that would soon follow but much to his surprise there was none. His sprits were shattered a moment later when he heard an ear-shattering scream erupt from Caleb's throat.

Pogue gasped. He completely forgot he was in Caleb's body.

"You fucker! I'll kill you!"

_Wrong answer._

There was another jolt followed by Caleb's scream of pain. Pogue yelled as he tried to locate Caleb's subconscious. He needed to shield his friend from this monster. When he couldn't find it he started to panic.

"Stop it, please. Don't hurt him."

_As you wish..._

Pogue then felt Caleb's body slump to the ground and his mind was submerged in darkness as he passed out. At that moment, Pogue felt himself being drawn out of Caleb's head. He continued his search for his friend's subconscious and before the link could be broken, he found it.

(Caleb hang on. I'm coming...)

The link was finally severed and Pogue's vision soon darkened. Just as the world started shattering around him, Pogue felt a weak emotion brush against his mind.

Hope...

--

Pogue's eyes snapped open and he bolted upright. The side of his head throbbed painfully as well as his injured shoulder. His whole upper body was covered in sweat and his breaths were coming in chocking waves.

(Caleb...)

He brought a hand to the side of his forehead and whined quietly. Caleb's screams soon echoed inside of his forehead as he focused on what just happened. Caleb...the things he was going through...the things that monster was doing to him...

Pogue's stomach heaved and a split second later he tore out of his bed and ran into the bathroom. His head was still spinning as he emptied the contents inside his stomach into the toilet. He waited until his muscles stopped tightening before he flushed the contents and ran some water from the sink to wash is mouth out.

His legs gave out a moment later and his body slumped down to the cold tiled floor. The inside of his body felt like it had been pulled apart and re-arranged. Hot tears soon fell down his cheeks and he pulled his legs close to his chest.

"Caleb..."

--

Reid jerked awake, his chest heaving as his breath came in deep gasping pants. His skin felt like it was on fire while the inside of his body was freezing to his very core.

(What the hell was that..?)

Gingerly he sat up and touched a hand to his chest; he was covered in a cold sweat. He glanced over at Tyler's bed. The other boy had his back turned but from his even breathing Reid could tell that he was still asleep.

Groaning quietly, the blond rolled his feet to the floor and rubbed his face with his hands. This was the second time he was awoken from someone _using_. He knew that was the case because he felt the same way that night when he felt Chase's powers. This was much stronger though...he felt like his body would be torn apart just from feeling it.

A small groan grabbed his attention and he turned towards Tyler's bed. The other boy rolled over on his side and curled into a tight ball, his closed eyes moving rapidly. A choked sob tore from the younger boy's throat and Reid felt a strong tug at his heart-strings.

(He's having another nightmare...)

Reid untangled himself from his bedding and quietly made his way towards the other boy's bed. Tyler started thrashing around just as Reid perched himself on the side of his bed.

"Tyler." He shook the other boy's shoulder. "Wake up baby boy."

Tyler didn't stir so Reid tried again, shaking his shoulder harder.

"Tyler!"

The younger boy's finally opened and gazed up at Reid with fear.

"Reid?"

"You were having another nightmare." Reid said, fighting against a yawn.

Tyler gazed up at him for a long time before he finally answered.

"Oh." Tyler whispered quietly, a light blush starting to form on his cheeks.

"Want some water or anything?" Reid asked as he scooted down a bit to give Tyler some room to sit up.

Tyler shook his head and sniffed quietly. His eyes were watery as they stared down at his bedding. Reid stared at him quietly, he knew Tyler was embarrassed. Tyler always tried to hide his nightmares from him.

Reid slid closer to and gently wrapped an arm around Tyler's stiff shoulders. "It's okay Tyler. It's over with."

Tyler remained silent and Reid was about to removes his arm when he felt Tyler slide closer to him and curl against his shoulder. Reid was taken back at first but his arms gently closed around Tyler a moment later.

--

Yeah, I thought the chapter was a bit too dark so I tossed in some Reid and Tyler fluff for ya. It's a small taste of things to come


	10. Chapter 10

This one's a bit shorter then the last but damn did I have fun writing it, even though some of you will probably start a riot from the ending.

**Chapter 10**

Reid groaned sleepily as a loud buzzing sound forced him awake. Blindly he reached his arm out towards the normal direction of his night-stand to turn his alarm clock off. After fumbling with nothing but air for a few minutes he grew annoyed and used his powers to shut the small ringing device off.

The room was silent again, making it very tempting for Reid to roll over and fall back asleep again but when he tried he noticed that something was weighing his right shoulder down. He opened his eyes and blinked rapidly until they focused.

Tyler was curled against him, his head resting on his shoulder. Reid had to search his mind for memories of last night before they finally came to the surface. He remembered that he was awoken from his dream and Tyler had another nightmare. He then went over to Tyler's bed and held the younger boy until he fell asleep.

Reid rubbed his hand over his eyes and relaxed against the bedding. He felt Tyler shift against him and without even realizing it he moved his arm around Tyler's shoulders, pulling him tighter against him. The younger boy moaned quietly and curled tighter against him, his head now moving just under Reid's chin. Warmth spread throughout Reid's entire body from the contact and for some unknown reason he felt completely at peace.

He turned his head towards his alarm clock and groaned when he saw the time. Both of them had class in ten minutes. He gently slid his arm out from under Tyler's body and rolled out of the bed. Tyler groaned quietly from the loss of contact and rolled over into the warm spot that Reid left. Something inside of Reid's stomach fluttered as he watched the younger boy sleep for a moment longer before he got up and stared over towards his dresser.

He tried to change as quietly as he could, hoping he wouldn't wake the dark-haired boy. He just finished buttoning up his slacks when he heard another soft groan behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to find a pair of sleepy blue eyes blinking rapidly.

"Morning." Reid said over his shoulder as he fought with the buttons on his blazer.

"Mornin'." Tyler sleepily yawned. "What time is it?"

"Almost eight." Reid replied.

Tyler swore as he rolled out of bed and stumbled over towards his own dresser. Reid struggled with his blazer to keep his eyes off Tyler as the younger boy pealed his shirt off. Reid's breath came in short pants as Tyler's bare back was too him, muscles flexing as he struggled into his uniform. Reid gathered himself and forced his eyes to stay on his hands. Finally Tyler finished dressing and hastily gathered up his school books. Reid did the same and waited at the door for him. The younger boy shoved all of his books into his school bag before joining Reid at the door and the two of them set off towards their first class.

The long walk through the school hallways gave Reid a much needed time to clear his head. Something was still rolling around inside his stomach from Tyler being this close to him but the one thing that was really bothering him was why? It's not like Tyler was never this close to him, they've shared a dorm room since they were 14 and the both of them had always been close since they were kids.

So why was Tyler's presence bothering him now?

They reached their classroom and headed inside along with the rest of their classmates and took their normal seats. Reid dug his books out of his pack and set them on the table in front of him in order to keep his gaze from wandering towards Tyler.

Their instructor entered a few short minutes afterwards and started preparing for their current lesson. Tyler shifted around in his seat and it took all of Reid's willpower not to turn his head, not even when Tyler nudged his arm.

"Where's Pogue?"

Reid blinked and looked at the seat towards his right; sure enough it was empty.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "He's probably late like normal."

Tyler's eyes wandered the length of the room for a long moment and Reid could clearly tell he was worried. Now the fluttering inside of his stomach stopped as he grew annoyed. Why was Tyler always worried about Pogue?

"Good morning class. Today we're going to pick up right where we left off on the early cultures of Ipswich."

A loud groan emitted from the class as the students dug out there notebooks and started scribbling down what was being written on the blackboard.

--

With shaking hands Pogue slowly pulled the black helmet over his head. A thunder cloud crackled loudly over his head and bathed the large manner his eyes were staring at in a thick grey light. He dismounted his newly repaired bike and gathered what was left of his nerve.

The Danvers manner sat on its hillside, looking dark and gloomy as ever. It had be abandoned a few short months ago by Evelyn after deciding the estate reminded her too much of the husband and son she had lost. Pogue swallowed deeply and summoned the last of his courage before he slowly trudged up the gravel driveway. The large metal gates soon came into view and Pogue's anxiety peaked when he saw that they were open.

(He really was here then...)

The sky darkened overhead and soon rain started pelting down on his shoulders. Pogue tightened his jacket around his body and walked onward.

(Three months ago I swore I'd never walk through these gates again.)

The gravel crunched under his feet as he neared the front door. He paused as he climbed the last porch step and raised a hand to the doorknob, hesitating for a long moment before turning the knob with his hand.

It was unlocked...

His blood turned cold; Caleb really was here.

The door slowly slid open, granting him entry. Cautiously Pogue slowly stepped over the threshold into the foyer. The room was bathed in a rich gold light from the large crystal chandler that hung from the middle of the ceiling. Pogue's breath hitched violently.

Someone was here...

His eyes slowly roamed over the length of the foyer and down the small hallway that connected the rest of the house. There was a light on in one of the far rooms and without even realizing it; Pogue started moving his feet in its direction. His ears picked up a small crackling sound like a fire as he drew closer and closer towards the sitting room. Sure enough there was a small fire going in the fireplace providing Pogue with a thick red light too see by.

Many painting and stuffed animals covered the gist of the vast room. In front of the fireplace there was a small sitting area with two chairs with a small table wedged in-between them. Something small and shinny was glittering on its surface and Pogue felt himself being drawn towards it. As he neared the small table his eyes got a closer look; it was a gold pendent about the size of his palm. He turned his hand towards the fireplace so the light could shine on it better, dark red gems where fitted perfectly into its rich surface along with a strange Celtic symbol on its other side.

A dark weight started to settle inside of Pogue's subconscious as he held it. Something was telling him this little object wasn't something he wanted to play around with. He was about ready to set it down when he felt dark brush against his mind again.

It was a rough, hostel presence, one he felt many times before.

"Hello again..."

Pogue forced his mental walls up around his mind before realization dawned on him. The voice wasn't inside of his mind like it normally was. It came from behind him...

Pogue swallowed and slowly turned around. A figure stood in the thick darkness behind him and when the figure took a step into the light, the pendent fell out of Pogue's hand and clattered loudly on the wooden floor as a pair of deep brown eyes stared back at him. It felt like an eternity before he could get his voice to work and when it did, it came out at a choked gasp.

"Caleb?"

--

Duh-Duh-Dah!

I'm gonna go hide now before someone stabs me in the ass with a pitchfork. LOL


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

If he listened close enough, Pogue knew he could hear the sound of his heart crashing to a complete halt.

His state of shock was so severe it seamed like all of his senses where on fire. He was aware of everything around him, the sound of the fire cracking loudly behind him, the soft chiming of the grandfather clock on the other side of the room, even the breathing of the man in front of him.

"Caleb?"

His voice broke as he spoke. It couldn't be...after all of this time...Caleb was standing less then ten feet away from him. The fire cast a dark red shadow across Caleb's form, making his deep brown eyes glow as he stared his former best friend down.

"Hello Pogue." Caleb replied, keeping his voice soft, his lips curving into a small grin. "It's been a while..."

Something dark started probing around the outside of Pogue's subconscious as he gazed in awe at the other boy. Pogue immediately recognized the familiar feeling of the evil presence as it tried to invade his mind once again. He repelled it easily and bravely took a step forwards.

"Caleb what's going on, where have you been? It's been three months since you disappeared and–"

Pogue stopped speaking when he heard a cold laugh come from Caleb's throat.

"Well, you of all people should know what I've been up to. I know you've been keeping your eye on me– or should I say..." Caleb paused and tapped the side of his forehead with his index finger. "Keeping a _mindful_ eye on me."

Caleb laughed again and Pogue felt a deep chill run down his spine. Something was wrong...this wasn't the Caleb he knew.

"An Empath huh, the ability to feel others emotions through a subconscious wave form. Must be interesting, that would explain how you first found me..." Caleb stated in a cold even tone, looking at Pogue with a dark gleam in his eyes.

Pogue felt something like an invisible hand brush against his mind once again.

"Caleb what's going on?" Pogue's voice squeaked as he felt the hand against his mind once more.

(What the hell...?)

He forced his mental shields up once again. The hand halted for a short moment before it withdrew fully.

Caleb growled and spoke again. "You think that's really going to stop me? I thought Gorman would've trained you better."

This time the hand violently jabbed strait into his mind, tearing right through his mental defenses. Pogue yelped from the sensation and tried to repeal it. He felt his knees buckling under him and he fell onto them a moment later. Caleb swiftly withdrew his powers but Pogue was ready for it and fought back, latching his own powers against Caleb's. The attack caught the other boy off guard and Pogue used it to his advantage, forcing himself into the other boy's mind.

Countless images flashed through his mind..._Caleb waking up and seeing the Darkling near his bed... Caleb sitting with Pogue in the park...Caleb and Sarah kissing..._ They all passed through his mind quickly but his mind locked on one particular image...

_Caleb was standing outside of Putnum Barn battling with Chase. Both boys where throwing shreds of their powers wildly at each other. Then a voice spoke in the back of Caleb's mind, willing him their power. Chase charged at him and Caleb used his new powers and threw a large wave at his attacker, knocking Chase back into the swarm of fire behind him. Caleb stared right into the blaze for a moment before turning his back and walking away. Then something happened...the burning fire roared loudly and Caleb wailed painfully as something dark grabbed a hold of his mind. It burrowed deep inside of his subconscious, laughing madly._

"_**You can't destroy me that easily..."**_

The pressure on Pogue's mind increased painfully and he was forced to withdraw his powers. He collapsed back on his knees, panting deeply. Caleb stood a few feet away from him, hunched over and also breathing heavily. Pogue used this moment to recap what he saw. What did it mean? Was Chase still alive somewhere?

(Wait...)

Pogue's breath hitched as he slowly started to piece everything together. It couldn't be, Caleb said he destroyed Chase...Gorman even said he did! They couldn't find his body but Gorman clearly stated that he couldn't feel any trace of Chase's powers anymore...unless.

(Oh god, no...it can't be...)

Pogue raised his head and stared at the weakened body standing a few short feet away from him. It couldn't be...

"Chase?"

Caleb's head jerked up and the boy gave a dark laugh once again.

"You finally figured it out, huh."

Pogue slowly staggered to his feet, still in shock.

"How?"

"William decided to be fatherly in his last few minutes of life and willed his powers to his only son. However his little act of heroism left Caleb's mind and body completely open and defenseless." Caleb wheezed as he willed his body back to his feet. "When Caleb and I fought, he destroyed my body, so I thought it was only fair for me to steal his."

Pogue just stood there. He couldn't believe it. The dark presence that held his friend captive -that made Caleb attack people- it was Chase!

"Why? What the hell do you want?" Pogue's breath was coming in short bursts as his anger started to rise.

Caleb was quiet for several minutes before he answered.

"I want my body back." A cruel smile spread across the boy's lips and he slowly raised his hand in the air.

Pogue didn't have time to brace himself before a wave of Caleb's powers came crashing against his chest, throwing him backwards into the wall. His back hit the stone wall hard, a painful yelp tearing from his mouth. He recoiled and fought back, sending a large ball of his own powers at his attacker. Caleb dodged it with little effort and sent another one right into Pogue's chest, sending his body crashing against the wooden floor. The impact was painful and it took a long time before Pogue could pull his body together enough to roll onto his side.

The sounds of footsteps rang in his ears as Caleb circled him around him. His foot slid under Pogue's shoulder and rolled him over.

"Pathetic. If the boy wonder couldn't defeat me with his father's help what makes you think you can?"

Pogue glared up at him. "Fuck you!"

Amusement flashed in Caleb's eyes as he lifted his foot and pressed down on Pogue's throat, choking his air supply. The lights in the room started dancing around Pogue's eyes and he tried to lift Caleb's foot off. Caleb only pushed down harder, clearly enjoying every minute of Pogue's struggling.

The room's shape started fading in front of his eyes. He was running out of air. He needed to do something, quickly!

His eyes moved to Caleb's face, his brown eyes where filled with malice and sadism as he watched the life slowly fade out from Pogue's green eyes. Pogue stuck his hand out, positioning it right in front of Caleb's face and forced all of his mental strength to gather and sent it forcibly into Caleb's mind. It worked; Caleb howled as Pogue's powered attacked his mind and stumbled back a few feet.

Immediately Pogue gasped and tried to suck a few large gulps of air into his lungs before he turned his attention back towards Caleb. The other boy was panting deeply and glaring down at him with dark, hateful eyes.

"I see now that you're going to be a problem." Caleb kept his voice even as he raised his hand again. "I guess I'll have to find a way to deal with you...and the rest of the little Ipswich boys."

Anger once again flared inside of Pogue's body.

"If you fucking touch them–"

"You'll what? Kill me?" Caleb stalked closer and leaned over him. "I don't think you're in any position to threaten me."

Pogue didn't say anything; he just glared up at Caleb and tightened his throat. He could taste blood from the corner of his mouth and spit a large glob of it at the other boy's face. Caleb simply blinked and whipped it off.

"Wrong answer." Caleb said coldly.

Pogue glared up at him and didn't even flinch when Caleb swung his fist downwards and smashed it into the side of Pogue's head. The impact sent Pogue's vision into a white haze before the never-ending darkness was waiting for him.

As it engulfed him he heard Caleb's voice whisper inside his ear.

"_Now let's see if I can find a use for you."_

--

Gorman startled awake as the sound thunder clashed outside of the old colony house windows.

He blinked his eyes a few times and gathered himself. His mind was reeling and his body felt like it was being tugged from three different angels. His senses were running a mile a minute and they were all screaming the same thing.

Something was wrong...


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"_This is Pogue, apparently I have better things to do at the moment then answer your call so leave a message and I'll get back to you when I feel like it."_

Tyler cursed under his breath and waited for the line to beep. "Pogue, it's me. I was just calling to see if you're okay since you weren't at school today. Give me a call back when you get this. Bye."

He closed his phone and shoved it back into his pocket as he swung the strap of his backpack over his shoulder. The afternoon bell rang a few short seconds afterwards and he quietly joined the commotion of the rest of Spencer's students as they hurried off towards their next classes.

He entered his afternoon math class and took his normal seat in the last row, giving a nod to the smaller boy that sat in the seat next to him. Reid and Pogue both had their English class at this time so he was alone. He didn't mind; he normally used this hour to sort out his head if something was bothering him.

(Like right now...)

Tyler bit his lip and rested his chin on his fist. Pogue's absence was really starting to bother him. The small voice in the back of his head assured him that he was overreacting; Pogue was just staying home because his head was bothering him again or something. But the other part of him was starting to grow uneasy. He remembered the last time he had this feeling he found Pogue laying in the drainage ditch two hours later.

Tyler shook his head and tried to focus on his instructor as he started writing a few problems on the blackboard for the class to do. He quickly copied them down and started working intently on them. After finishing the first two he started working on the third when a loud knock grabbed his attention and he looked up in time to see an office aid hand his instructor a small slip.

"Mr. Sims, Provost Higgins wants to see you in his office."

Tyler gazed down at him in disbelief. The Provost wanted to see him? He gathered his stuff up quietly and climbed down the sections. The instructor handed him the note as he passed and the second the door closed behind him, Tyler unfolded the small green paper. Sure enough it was it was his name and it was even spelled correctly. That was unusual, he'd only be inside the Provost's office a few times and every time Higgins hardly ever remembered his name and never said it correctly.

Swallowing his nervousness, Tyler headed down the deserted hallway towards the fourth floor where the Provost's office was.

--

Reid sighed and crumpled the green note with his hand. The Provost's office...what the hell did he do now?

The secretary glared at him from her desk as he tossed the slip on the floor and he shot her a dark look. She rolled her eyes and ducked back down behind her computer and the small office was filled with the sounds of her thin fingers tipping away at the keyboard.

He sighed again, making sure he was loud enough to annoy the secretary and slumped back against the hard wooden bench. He tried counting the dots for a moment and then gave up when he realized he wasn't that bored. The office door cracked open a short moment later and thankful to have a small distraction he turned his head towards it. When he saw who it was that entered he nearly fell off the bench.

(Tyler!?)

Sure enough, the youngest Ipswich member shyly entered the office and shut the door behind him. His eyes locked on Reid for a short moment before he showed the secretary his slip. She squinted at it, her eyes moving back and forth as she read it.

"Ah yes. You may sit and wait with Mr. Garwin there." She said as she pointed at the wooden bench that Reid was sitting at.

Tyler nodded and slowly shuffled over towards Reid.

"Hey."

Reid gave him a half smile, his spirits lifting from the sight of the dark-haired boy. Tyler sat down in the spot next to him, looking around the room nervously.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hell if I know. I just got called out of class for no reason. You?"

"Same."

Tyler eyed the secretary nervously as he finished and Reid took the opportunity to let his eyes drift over the younger boy's form. Tyler looked nervous, almost anxious. His blue eyes where filled with worry as they jumped back and forth across the room.

Something painfully tugged at Reid's stomach as he watched. Why was Tyler that upset? Surly being sent to the Provost's office wouldn't do that to him? He waited until the secretary wasn't looking before he leaned closer to him.

"What's wrong?"

Tyler didn't even raise his head. "Nothing, just wondering why I got called down here. I haven't done anything."

"Me neither, for once." Reid replied.

Even though his head was still lowered, Reid heard Tyler chuckle softly at that. His heart skipped a beat at the sound.

"No talking!"

Both boys flinched from the secretary's voice and remained quiet. Tyler kept his head lowered and Reid glared at the secretary's head for a long moment before he dared to open his mouth again.

"Tyler what's wrong? I know something other then this is bothering you."

There was a long period of silence from the other boy and Reid was about to open his mouth again when Tyler finally spoke.

"I don't know, I just have a weird feeling all of a sudden."

"About what?" Reid asked as he leaned closer.

Tyler sighed deeply before he replied. "About Pogue."

(Pogue?)

Reid growled quietly but managed to cover it by clearing his throat. Tyler didn't seem to notice, something that he was thankful for because he really didn't feel like explaining himself. Was he actually jealous?

"Why are you worried about Pogue?" He asked, barley managing to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

It was a long time before Tyler raised his head and answered him.

"He hasn't been in any of our classes today and I called his cell but it's off. I don't know I just have this weird feeling."

Reid rolled his eyes. Sure, if he skived off a day of school Tyler wouldn't care but the second their new fearless leader got one little headache and stayed home the younger boy was always wringing his hands nervously. If he disappeared for a week would Tyler even notice?

"I'm sure he's fine Tyler. We went through this the last time you couldn't get a hold of him, remember."

Tyler finally raised his head and stared at him. "Reid, the last time I had this feeling I found Pogue on the side of the road almost dead, remember."

Even though Tyler kept his voice even, Reid couldn't help but flinch. The younger boy's eyes were gazing intently at him, forcing him to swallow his pride and back down. The two of them endeared a long, painful silence before the large, polished wooden door of the Provost's office slowly swung open. Higgins strolled into the lobby a moment later, his eyes slowly looking over the two boys as he stood in front of them.

"Mr. Garwin, Mr. Sims, there's someone in my office who hastily requests your presence. Do not keep him waiting."

Both boys gazed fearfully at the headmaster before slowly getting to their feet and walking hesitantly into the Provost's office. Tyler entered first and halted after taking a few steps into the office.

"Gorman?"

Reid bumped into him, before he could stop himself and glanced over Tyler's shoulder. Gorman stood by the window near Higgins's desk, his old body leaning against his wooden cane.

"Boys." He nodded his head politely and motioned for them to come closer. "Close the door Reid."

Reid raised an eyebrow before compiling and shutting the office door. Tyler was still gazing at the elder in shock.

"Please sit down."

Tyler immediately sank down in one of the chairs by the desk but Reid simply crossed his arms and stayed where he was.

Why the hell was Gorman here?

"I sent for Pogue as well, but it appears that he's not on the grounds."

Before he could stop himself, Reid lowered his eyes towards Tyler and grumbled inwardly when he younger boy stared at Gorman nervously.

"Do you know where he is?"

Gorman blinked. "He's not with you two?"

Tyler and Reid shook their heads.

"I see..." Gorman lowered his ancient eyes, his fingers twisting around the handle of his cane. "This is a problem then."

Once again, Reid felt himself roll his eyes.

"So what? Can't you just locate him with your mind like you always do?" He asked impatiently.

Gorman gave him a stern look before he spoke. "Don't you think I tried boy. I haven't been able to locate him anywhere, hence why I'm here."

Reid snorted and looked down at the floor.

"You don't know where he is then?" Tyler asked nervously.

Gorman shook his head.

"No, I haven't been able to locate him since this morning. I fear something has happened."

Tyler shot to his feet in an instant. "Like what? Is he hurt or something?"

"I don't know Tyler." Gorman sighed. "That's why I came here, I'm afraid I'm going to need your assistance to help find him."

Tyler turned his head and gave Reid a knowing look as the realization of why they were called out of class dawned on the both of them. The younger boy then turned back towards the elder and nodded.

"Of course we'll help you find him."

"We?" Reid spoke before he could stop himself.

Tyler turned his head around and glared at him.

"What?"

Reid was quiet for a long time, trying to think of an answer that wouldn't upset Tyler even more.

"Why the hell are both of you making a big deal out of this? He's fine, he's probably at his place and blocking you out like he normally does."

Tyler's jaw dropped in shock as he stared at the blond. Gorman, however, was looking at him with a blank expression and Reid just knew the elder was using his powers to pry around inside of his head. He tried to keep his mind blank and held his ground as Tyler rounded on him.

"Reid what the hell's going on with you today? Pogue might be hurt– or worse!"

"I'm telling you he's fine–"

"What if he's not? What something happened to him–"

"Boys!" Gorman banged his cane on the wooden floor a few times to end the argument.

Both teens quieted and Tyler gave Reid an enraged look before turning his head back in Gorman's direction.

"I'll help you find him."

Gorman gazed at his youngest covenant member silently before nodding.

"Thank you Tyler."

Tyler nodded back and gave Reid one more angry look as Gorman dug through his pockets and pulled out a pen.

"Now, I'm considered a legal guardian so I can legally sign you out...both of you, should you chose to help us Reid."

Gorman's sharp eyes once again turned towards Reid and the blond could practically feel the elder's powers combing through his mind, looking for an explanation for his behavior. Deciding he was much better off without the elder knowing the confusing battle ragging inside of his own mind, Reid sighed and nodded.

"Fine, whatever. If it gets me out of English."

--

(So many memories, so little time...)

Chase hummed quietly to himself as he stared at the still body lying crumpled on the floor a few short feet away from him. Pogue was curled on his left side, his eyes closed but moving rapidly under their lids.

He leaned down next to the unconscious boy and slowly raised his hand towards the other's forehead. Pogue groaned and thrashed back and forth as Chase used his limitless power to tear down the other boy's mental barriers as he dove deeper and deeper into the other boy's subconscious.

(Now be a good boy and show me what I'm looking for...)

He probed deeper, shifting through countless memories of Pogue's youth, until small memory fragments of the boy's parents came to view. His power moved across them, viewing images of Pogue's past; a four year old Pogue sitting on the porch steps with his father, five year old Pogue sitting in his grandfather's study as the elder Parry read books to him.

(Ah-ha)

He stopped as one memory came to the surface. Pogue was sitting in the small children's area of a bank while his parents sat at the desk a few feet away from him. Pogue's father was signing something while his mother nervously placed something inside one of the deposit boxes. He used his powers to focus on the small item. It was small and round, like a pendent. He enhanced the image, yes it was a pendent. It was the same rich gold color he was looking for and its cover was adored in gems like the other one; expect they were a bright green color.

(There it is.)

Chase smiled and used his powers to rewind the memory to the point where the Parry family first entered the bank, looking for a sign.

**Ipswich City Bank.**

(Well, well, well, you were useful after all... now what to do with you.)

Satisfied, he let go of the memory and started shifting through Pogue's other memories. There had to be one that he could use to his advantage...

(Oh, what have we here?)

He pulled a small memory forwards and watched it with much interest. Pogue and Caleb where sitting in a secluded park talking. Caleb confessed his fears about ascending and Pogue listened with a heavy weight in his heart. Even from just viewing it, Chase could feel the uneasy feelings brewing inside of Pogue's body.

(Interesting...)

He let go of it and pulled another one forwards. Caleb and Pogue were sitting on the bed in Caleb's bedroom doing what looked like homework. Pogue blindly reached for a beverage on the night stand near Caleb when he accidently knocked it over, spilling its contents over Caleb's shirt. The younger boy apologized rapidly but Caleb shrugged it off and hopped off his bed towards his dresser.

From the memory Chase could feel the nervousness radiating from Pogue's body as Caleb slowly pealed off his shirt and dug through his dresser for a new one. Pogue watched, entranced as the muscles of Caleb's back and shoulders pulled and contrasted from his movements, the pale skin looking so tempting. Pogue's face soon reddened and he hastily turned away.

Chase watched the memory for a moment longer before completely withdrawing his powers from the other boy's mind. Pogue slumped back against the floor his eyes still moving under their closed lids. Chase stood up and shook his head. So that was it, the whole time he spent living among the four of them he always thought Pogue's jealousy and hostile behavior towards him was because of Kate. Oh, how wrong he was...

"So, all it takes to get you off my ass is Caleb." He chuckled as he leaned down again, lightly stroking a finger down Pogue's cheek. "I think I can arrange that for you..."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Reid grumbled and banged his fingers on the Hummer's steering-wheel impatiently. Through the passenger's side window he could see Tyler several yards away, apparently in the middle of an intense conversation with Pogue's landlord.

Gorman sat quietly in the back seat, his sharp eyes watching the two through the window as well. Throughout most of the day the elder didn't say more then two words as they prowled through the town in search of Pogue.

Tyler said a few more words to Pogue's landlord before he turned around and jogged back over towards the SUV.

"He hasn't seen Pogue at all today." Tyler stated as he climbed into the passenger's side.

Gorman sighed deeply in the backseat while up front Reid growled and thumped his hand against the steering wheel.

"Great, anymore bright ideas?"

"No." Tyler snapped and turned his head towards Gorman. "You feel anything Gorman?"

Gorman sighed and shook his head. "No."

"Damn. We've tried the school and his place. Where else would he be?" Tyler cursed and turned back around.

"Nicky's?" Reid suggested.

Tyler glared at him darkly. "I'm being serious Reid. You know he hates that place."

"It was just an idea. Excuse me." Reid grumbled and turned the on the Hummer's engine.

He was really getting tired of this. Throughout the whole day he wasn't able to say anything to Tyler without the other boy jumping down his throat about it.

He pulled the Hummer back onto the main road and drove down a few random streets, not really caring where he was going. No one in the car seamed to care. Tyler had his forehead pressed against his hand as he tried to think and Gorman was staring blankly at the back of Tyler's seat, obviously reaching out around them with his powers.

Reid rolled his eyes and focused his full attention on the road. Truth be told, he'd rather be back at school instead of out with one half-crazed geezer and a disgruntled Tyler looking for the wandering empath.

(Things weren't even this bad when Caleb was around...)

Sighing inwardly to himself, he pulled the Hummer off onto a small back road and drove down a small ways, having no idea where he was going. He risked another small glance over at Tyler and felt a small ping inside of his stomach. Tyler's face was full of worry and his fingers twisted nervously in his lap and once again Reid felt the familiar sensation as his jealousy started coiling inside of his stomach yet again.

(I swear Pogue had better be dying or else I'll ring his damn neck.)

His attention was averted a short time later when Gorman's voice rang in his ear.

"Reid stop."

Both boys jerked their heads towards the backseat at the sound of the elder's voice and Reid pulled off onto a shoulder a moment later. Gorman had a frown on his face as his eyes slowly moved left and right. Reid turned his head towards Tyler, his confused expression mirroring the younger boy's. Suddenly Gorman cleared his throat and pointed towards Reid's left.

"Take that road down there."

Reid stared at him for a long moment. "Why?"

Gorman shifted in his seat and closed his eyes. "I felt something now."

"Was it Pogue?" Tyler asked quietly, still staring at Gorman.

"I don't know...possibly."

That seamed to be enough to convince Tyler and the younger boy turned in his seat towards Reid.

"You heard him, that one right there."

Reid ignored him and looked in the rear-view mirror at Gorman, who was twisting his hands over the handle of his cane. Was it his imagination or did the elder look nervous?

"Reid!" Tyler growled impatiently.

Reid tore his gaze away from the mirror and glared at him, the anger inside of his eyes making Tyler jump slightly.

"Alright I'm going!" He growled.

He put the Hummer in gear and angrily slammed his foot down on the gas pedal, ignoring the surprised yelp from Tyler as his car sharply turned onto the road.

"Reid what the fuck!"

The blond said nothing and kept his eyes firmly on the road. Tyler shifted in his head and swore quietly a few more times before turning his attention back on Gorman.

"It's getting stronger." Gorman said quietly as the scenery hastily sped by.

Reid ignored him as his eyes locked on something in the distance. Something was sitting in the gravel by the side of the road, something bright yellow. He was just about ready to point it out when Tyler beat him to it.

"That's Pogue's bike!"

Gorman jerked his head up his mouth dropping open. Reid pulled off onto the side of the road a moment later, parking the Hummer near the bright yellow Ducati. Tyler opened his door and jumped out a second later, closely examining the motorcycle.

"It's Pogue's alright." He called out as the other two exited the vehicle. "What the hell is it doing here?"

Reid shrugged and took one long look at the scenery around him. Funny, the trees and the gravel driveway looked kinda familiar to him.

"Isn't this Caleb's house?"

Tyler looked around as well until he noticed the large metal gates a few hundred yards away. "Yeah, it is."

"That would explain it..." Gorman said quietly, leaning heavily on his cane.

Reid frowned. "Explain what?"

"Never you mind." Gorman said sternly and started hobbling up the gravel drive towards the Danvers house.

Tyler gave Reid a confused looked before the both of them followed Gorman up the driveway. They passed through the large metal gates and soon found themselves walking up the steps to the front door. Gorman flashed his eyes and door slowly opened inward. Reid and Tyler shared another confused look. That was the first time in many years they've seen the elder use his powers. They followed him inside a moment later, letting Gorman lead the way into the foyer.

Reid let his eyes wander over the room. It was dark; the sunlight was prevented from entering through the windows by the heavy red drapes. Gorman paused in the middle of the foyer and Reid assumed he was using his powers to feel out the area. The blond shuffled his feet nervously and waited. Gorman was silent for a long stretch of time before he inhaled sharply and his cane slipped from his fingers and clattered loudly on the floor.

Tyler stepped forwards. "What is it?"

"In there." Gorman pointed down the hallway into the sitting room.

Tyler immediately sped off down the hallway and Reid followed him a quick second later. He paused near the doorway however when he saw that Gorman was quietly heading towards the far area of the house. Reid was about to turn and follow the elder but his footsteps froze when he heard Tyler cry out.

"Oh my god!"

Reid spared one more look in the direction that Gorman disappeared before charging into the living room. He skidded to a halt when he saw that Tyler was crouched over something near the fireplace.

When he got closer he saw it was Pogue.

"Pogue!' Tyler rolled the unconscious boy over onto his back and started checking the extent of his injuries.

A lump formed in Reid's throat from the sight. There was a trail of dried blood at the corner of Pogue's mouth and a nasty red welt on his neck.

"Damn. What the hell happened to him?"

Tyler didn't answer him. The younger boy cursed under his breath and placed his right hand over Pogue's throat. Reid watched quietly as Tyler's eyes turned black and the tips of his fingers glowed with a soft red light. He ran his fingers over the redness on Pogue's neck; the skin healed and red spots soon faded. He then moved his hands over Pogue's face and the side of his head, trying to heal every injury he could find.

After a moment Tyler's shoulders slumped and Reid could tell the other boy was getting tired. Despite his failing strength, Tyler kept at it, his hands now moving over Pogue's torso; His hands where starting to shake now and he was breathing heavily. Reid felt himself grow nervous from the site.

Tyler's hands where shaking harder and fearful that the younger boy might over-extent himself, Reid gently grabbed his arms and pulled him back. Tyler gasped and slumped back against him, panting deeply. Not even realizing what he was doing, Reid brought his arms around him and held the other teen against him.

"He needs more..." Tyler wheezed against Reid's chest and tried to raise his arm again.

He stopped him. "You've done enough, he's fine. Besides, you can't handle anymore."

"Yes I can–"

"Tyler." Reid grabbed his hands again and pulled him a short distance away.

Gorman entered the room and took one long look at Pogue's crumpled body. Reid glanced over Tyler's head at him and frowned; the sleeve on Gorman's sweater was ripped and even from the dark lighting in the room he could see there was a large gash on his forearm.

Before he could voice his discovery Gorman approached them and leaned over Pogue's body.

"Let's get him somewhere safe." He motioned for Tyler and Reid to move him.

Tyler took a few deep breaths and obeyed, going to Pogue's side.

"Somewhere safe? Why?" Reid asked, growing more confused by the moment.

"Don't question me boy, just do it!" Gorman snapped back at him.

Reid flinched from the elder's tone and hasty went to Pogue's side and helped Tyler lift the unconscious boy off the floor.

--

Chase swore loudly and rested against the large tree behind him. Blood was oozing from the gash on his thigh and leaving a warm trail down his whole leg.

(Fucking old man!)

He groaned loudly as he ran his hand over the wound, trying to halt the flow of blood. He sighed when it worked and used his powers once again to completely remove the stains on his jeans. His hand brushed over his pocket and froze when he didn't feel a bump in the cloth.

Panic washed over him and he frantically searched himself for his misplaced item.

(Fuck! It's gone.)

The pendent, he couldn't find it anywhere. He had it on him when he finished with Pogue and was about to leave the house with it when...

(Dammit, he has it!)

Snarling to himself, Chase turned his head and gazed back at the Danvers manner. The old man that attacked him...he must've grabbed it.

(Looks like I'll have to pay him a visit sometime soon...)


	14. Chapter 14

You asked for more Reid and Tyler fluff so ladies and gentlemen, I give you FLUFF!!

**Chapter 14**

"Christ he's heavy!" Reid wheezed as he lugged Pogue's unconscious body out of the Hummer's backseat.

"Here, get his other shoulder." Tyler replied as he threw one of Pogue's arms behind his neck. "Got him?"

Reid did the same and nodded. "Yeah."

Together they lifted Pogue's weight and carried him towards the front of the colony house. Gorman was waiting for them by the front door. Reid glanced at his arm as they passed him and saw that the elder's forearm was still bleeding badly.

"Put him in here." Gorman walked a head of them and pointed at one of the first floor bedrooms.

They slowly shuffled into the room behind him and together they gently laid Pogue down on the large bed. Tyler groaned softly and rubbed his shoulder while Reid flopped down on the end of the bed.

"Damn, Pogue needs to lose a few pounds."

Tyler grunted as he continued rubbing the soreness out of his shoulder.

"Thank you boys." Gorman said quietly as he approached the bed, near Pogue. "You may leave."

Reid shot his head up. "What?"

Gorman didn't even turn his head as he spoke. "I said you may go."

"You really think we're just gonna head out that door and drop everything that just happened?" Reid snapped, getting to his feet.

"I didn't say you had to leave the house, just go into the next room."

Reid frowned. "Why?"

Gorman finally turned around and faced him; the elder's face was full of worry and unease.

"Because, I need to discover the full extent of Pogue's injuries and I can't do it correctly with the two of you in here."

"He should be fine, Tyler already healed him."

Tyler nodded when Gorman gave him a quick look. The elder then moved his ancient eyes back towards Pogue.

"That was very noble of you Tyler but it was Pogue's mind I was referring too."

Both boys gazed at Gorman silently for a moment, until realization sunk in. Tyler "oh"ed quietly and lowered his head. Reid however, was always famous for letting out his thoughts in verbal form.

"His mind? Why?"

"Reid, for once in your life, please do as you're told." Gorman barked over his shoulder.

Reid felt his anger rising. What the hell was Gorman hiding from them? He was about voice his outrage when Tyler gently touched his shoulder and he turned to face him, his anger fading as he gazed down into Tyler's blue eyes.

"Come on."

Tyler pulled on his arm gently, turning him towards the open doorway and Reid was powerless do anything other then what those baby blues told him to do. He shot Gorman a dark look as Tyler pulled him from the room and the elder returned it with a stern look of his own. The instant the two of them passed through the doorway the door slammed shut behind them.

"Fuck." Reid sighed, staring at the now closed door. "What do think has Gorman all moody?"

"I don't know." Tyler replied and then groaned quietly.

Reid immediately turned his head when he heard it and gazed at Tyler. The younger boy's eyes were glossy and his shoulders were dropping.

"You okay?"

Tyler nodded and placed his hand on the wall to support himself.

"I'm fine. Just tired, that's all."

Reid frowned. Tyler didn't look tired, he looked flat out exhausted. The blond thought for a moment and remembered the reason why; Tyler had practically drained himself of life when he tried to heal Pogue earlier. If he wasn't present, Reid was sure Tyler would've kept at it until he collapsed.

(And he's always on my ass about over-using)

"Come on, you need sit down for a while. Let's leave Gorman to his work." He moved forwards and gently pushed Tyler down the hallway towards the sitting room.

Tyler didn't protest as Reid led him into the dimly lit room and guided him over towards the large sofa in front of the fireplace. A quick flash of his eyes and a fire started within the small stone chamber.

"There we are." Reid smiled and sat down next to the other boy.

Tyler didn't say anything, which Reid found odd. Normally Tyler would've chewed his ass out for using like that, but the other boy just quietly stared into the bright orange flames. Reid leaned back against the soft cushions and sighed loudly.

"What do you think Gorman's hiding from us?"

Tyler tore his gaze away from the flames.

"What?"

"Come on Tyler, you didn't see the cut on his arm? He got that _after_ we went into Caleb's house and I saw him wander off right before we found Pogue."

Tyler thought for a moment, turning his eyes back towards the fireplace.

"It can't be good. If something has Gorman spooked that only means bad news for us."

Reid grunted approvingly. He gazed into the crackling flames along with Tyler, thousands of thoughts running through his mind.

"I bet Pogue knows something. What the hell was he doing at Caleb's house anyway?"

"I don't know." Tyler lowered his head slightly and then a thought came to him. "Wait..."

"What?" Reid asked leaning closer.

"A week ago, when Pogue crashed his bike, he said he saw Caleb."

Silence soon covered the length of the whole room as Reid stared at the younger boy in complete shock.

"Pogue saw Caleb?"

"Yeah, he said Caleb appeared in the middle of the road and attacked him. That's why he crashed. I found him on the side of the road a few hours later and brought him here."

Reid thought hard for a long moment. He remembered that night, Tyler was nervous because he wasn't able to get a hold of Pogue and left to go find him, then an hour later Reid got a phone call from the younger covenant member saying he'd be spending the night at Pogue's place.

Reid bit the inside of his lip as he finished recalling the memory. Tyler spent the night over at Pogue's, for some reason that thought made his stomach turn violently. He honestly didn't know why. Well, he knew why, the thought of Tyler not being around him always made him uneasy, ever since they where kids they've always been close. Reid would always lead them on little adventures the second they could walk and Tyler would always go with him, his little fingers always digging into Reid's arm when something scared him. Even though he'd probably never admit it, Reid missed that feeling. It always made him feel special and wanted. Tyler trusted him to keep him safe; he knew Reid would protect him.

Whenever the younger boy was out of his sight Reid always felt empty. Tyler was basically all he had these days. His father passed away when Reid was fourteen and his mother dumped him off on Gorman's doorsteps shortly afterwards and took off without so much as a farewell.

"Reid?"

Tyler's hand was on his arm and Reid had to blink a few time to bring himself back to reality. His palm stung and when he opened his hands he saw half-moon imprints from his fingernails pressing tightly against the skin.

"Fuck." He swore and rubbed the tender skin.

Tyler gazed at him quietly and his eyes full of concern.

"Scared?" The younger boy asked, breaking the silence.

Reid couldn't bring himself to say anything so he just nodded quietly. Truth be told, he was fearful of everything that was going on around him but he was more afraid of the strange feelings swirling inside of him from being within the younger boy's presence.

Tyler's hands moved to his arm gently as he scooted closer to him.

"Me too." He whispered softly and curled against Reid's shoulder.

--

Gorman groaned and removed his hand from Pogue's forehead. He wiped the sweat from his brow and took a moment to gather himself before trying another attempt at accessing Pogue's mind. Even though the young man was unconscious, his mind was still heavily protected. Gorman had to smile at that thought; apparently Pogue did pay attention to his teachings.

Using his powers, he moved one of the room's many chairs towards the bed and sat down in it. This was going to take some time and a lot of his patience. He sat down and raised his hand towards Pogue's forehead. Taking a deep breath, he once again dove into Pogue's subconscious. Darkness greeted him as he used his powers to fight through Pogue's mental barriers. Once again they wouldn't budge and Gorman tried to find a way through them.

(Come on Pogue, you know who this is.)

Even though he wasn't finding a way through, he kept at it. He knew sooner or later Pogue would recognize his presence and let him in, provided there was anything of Pogue's mind left after _he_ finished tearing it to shreds.

(Pogue let me in...)

He lingered for a long time, waiting for the boy to let him inside his mind. Nothing...Pogue's defenses weren't even budging. Growing frustrated, Gorman withdrew his powers fully and leaned back in his chair. Even though he was proud of the fact that Pogue was strong enough to completely repeal his attempts, it only made him worry more about the boy's well-being. Pogue's mental defenses were that strong for a reason; he was trying to prevent someone from entering his mind.

(He must've done a number on you for you to fight me that much.)

The elder sighed once again and decided to call it a night. Pogue was going to need a lot of rest in order to fully recover from his ordeal. He hobbled over towards the closet and retrieved a blanket. He set it over Pogue's unconscious body, making sure the boy would be warm enough during the night.

When he finished he retrieved his cane and opened the door. He glanced once more at Pogue before he stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him. He paused in the hallway, trying to locate the two other covenant members. They weren't hard to for him to find, Reid always had an obnoxious air around him and Tyler's presence was always recognizable. He quietly walked down the hall towards the sitting room and poked his head inside.

Both boys were sprawled across the room's large sofa. Reid was slumped against the arm with his head resting against the top cushion while Tyler was curled against the other boy's side with head resting against Reid's shoulder. Gorman smiled and continued on his way down the hall towards his bedroom. He was going to need a lot of rest in order to build up his strength again. After climbing the stairs as quietly as he could he entered his bedroom. Gingerly he pulled the arm of his sweater up and looked at the gash on his forearm.

He was so involved with Pogue that he completely forgot about it. His whole forearm was covered with trails of dried blood. Summoning his remaining powers, he lightly ran his fingers over the cut, healing it until all that was left was a faded white line where the gash was.

(How's more powerful then I thought he would be...)

After healing his arm and removing the blood stains he reached into his pocket and pulled out a large gold pendent. He gazed at it intently, his eyes roaming over its smooth surface.

(Is this really all you wanted?)

He gazed down at it for a moment longer before setting it on his night stand and prepared himself for bed.

--

Whew. I'm not really use to slashing 17/18 year olds so forgive me if things get odd. I normally work with beer-drinking 25/30 year old Australian racers that want to screw anything that moves.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Sunlight gently danced across Reid's closed eyelids and with an extreme amount of effort he slowly opened them. The morning light was drifting in inside the small sitting room through the room's many windows and bathing the large room in a soft orange glow.

He yawned sleepily and tried to work the kinks out of his neck from his uncomfortable sleeping position. He turned his head and smiled when he saw Tyler was still asleep on his shoulder. His heart did a full flip from the sight; this was the second day in a row he woke up to find the younger boy curled against his arm and the feeling was still humbling.

Being careful not to wake the other boy, Reid gently lifted Tyler's head off his shoulder and slid off the end of the couch. He laid Tyler's head back on the couch cushions and when he was sure he hadn't woken the other boy with his movements he quietly left the room. He stood in the hallway and yawned, stretching the rest of his sore muscles. His eyes were immediately drawn to the room at the far end of the hall and without even realizing it; his feet started moving towards it.

The door was open and feeling curious, he stuck his head inside. Gorman was sitting the chair next to Pogue's bed, his eyes were tightly closed and his hand was raised above Pogue's forehead. Reid watched quietly for a moment, keeping perfectly still until he heard Gorman sigh and lower his hand.

"You may come in."

Reid waited, making sure he heard the elder correctly before slowly shuffling in the bedroom.

"He hasn't woken up yet?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Gorman sighed and leaned back in his chair.

Reid turned his gaze towards the bed. Pogue's eyes were lightly closed and his breathing was soft, giving the impression that the longer haired boy was sleeping peacefully. However, Reid knew where ever Pogue's mind was, it probably wasn't peaceful.

"What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know. He seams fine but I haven't been able to get passed his defenses."

Reid's eyes where still on Pogue when Gorman finished.

"So, can't you just force your way passed them?"

Gorman was silent for a long time before he turned his head, his ancient eyes rounding on Reid's green ones.

"Yes I could, if I wanted to cause Pogue harm." Gorman replied firmly. "Pogue's using a large amount of his powers to keep his mind locked."

His statement only confused Reid more.

"How come?"

There was a long period of silence before the elder covenant member responded.

"Because, he's trying to kept someone out."

Reid stared at the elder in disbelief. "Who?"

Gorman continued twisting his cane nervously.

"I don't know."

Reid didn't buy it.

"Don't bullshit me Gorman; I know you're hiding something."

As he expected, Gorman turned his head and glared at him darkly. "Mind your tone boy. I raised you better then that."

Reid ignored him. "I know you're hiding something from us. I saw your am."

"Reid–"

"And I saw you run off when we were at Caleb's. You knew someone other then Pogue was there, didn't you?"

At that, Gorman paused and lowered his eyes slightly.

"Yes, someone else was there, but that's not important now." He raised his hand when Reid was about ready to open his mouth again. "What _is_ important right now is for me to find out exactly what has been extracted from Pogue's mind and to find out how much damage _that boy_ did to him."

Reid bit the inside of his cheek and held his tongue. His mind was reeling with questions. Who was Gorman talking about? More questions started forming inside his mind but he didn't get a chance say anything because Gorman rose from his chair a moment later.

"Where you going?"

Gorman paused in the doorway on his way out. "I'm old boy; I need time to rest in order to build my strength up."

Reid glared at the elder's back as Gorman hobbled from the room, the soft thumping of his cane hitting the floor echoing in the hallway.

(Great...doesn't dance around the bush much does he?)

Reid sighed and slumped back in his chair, his eyes involuntarily moving towards the un-conscious boy once again. Pogue's breathing was still light and undisturbed. Reid was immediately reminded of the time when Pogue was in the Intensive Care Ward after Chase got through with him.

(This is the second time I've had to sit by your side and wait for you to wake up.)

His eyes lingered on Pogue for another moment before he sighed quietly and got to his feet. He walked the few short strides to the doorway and was about to pass trough it when he felt something warm touch the back of his neck.

(What the hell?!)

He jumped and immediately spun around, expecting someone to be standing behind him. There wasn't; the only other person inside the room was Pogue and the other boy was still sleeping quietly.

Reid frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. Did he just imagine that?

His question was answered a moment later when he felt it again. It was like someone was running their fingers up the back of his neck. A shiver went down his spine as the sensation sunk deeper into his flesh. He squirmed from the feeling and tried to fight it off. He kept his mind clear, forcing himself to think of a clear white wall and waited. The hand halted its movements and lingered over Reid's subconscious for a moment before it withdrew from his mind completely. Reid's body jerked as the link was broken. The side of his head throbbed painfully and he groaned loudly and pressed his palm against it.

(What the fuck was all that?)

He took a few deep, calming breaths before he opened his eyes and gazed down at the bed. After a long moment he noticed that Pogue's eyebrows were curved into the shape of a small frown, as if the other boy was focusing on something.

(That was you, wasn't it?)

Reid groaned and stood upright. He rubbed the side of his head and turned towards the doorway when a figure entered his peripheral vision. Gorman stood in the open door way leaning heavily on his cane.

"Um, Pogue just–"

"I know." Gorman interrupted and hobbled over towards Pogue's side once again. "I felt it when I was coming back down the hall."

He raised his hand over Pogue's forehead once again and closed his eyes. With in seconds Reid could feel Gorman's limitless powers circling around him as it flooded through the large bedroom. Suddenly Gorman's powers halted and the elder emitted a frustrated sigh as he removed his hand.

"Reid, come here."

Reid jumped at the sound of his name. "Huh?"

"I said, come here. I need your help."

"Um, okay." Reid nervously replied, raising an eyebrow as he was told. "What do I have to do?"

"Pogue still isn't letting me in, so I'm going to try a different approach."

"Like what?" Reid asked, still not understanding what the elder wanted him to do.

"You're going to speak to him for me."

Reid gazed at Gorman fearfully. "You want me to do what?"

"He's still not letting me help him so I'm going to have you contact him for me." Gorman said, his sharp eyes never leaving Pogue's face. "I'll do most of the work; I just need you to speak to him."

Reid blinked and stared down at Pogue's face once again.

"What should I say?"

Gorman looked slightly annoyed but he answered Reid's question.

"Just tell him he's safe. He's already recognized your presence so he should believe you."

Reid moved his eyes from Pogue towards Gorman and back again before he cleared his throat nervously.

"Um, okay. What do I have to do?"

"Just give me your hand."

Reid waited for a moment and hesitantly held out his right hand. The elder gently grasped it, his long, thin fingers curling around Reid's palm, and gently placed it in the air above Pogue's forehead. Within seconds Reid felt a tremendous surge of power flow through his entire body.

"It's alright." Gorman whispered softly. "Just relax."

Reid grimaced, Gorman's powers felt like they were about to tear his whole body apart if he moved the wrong way. Gorman then moved his hand down until it was only a few inches above Pogue's forehead.

"Are you ready?"

Reid swallowed hard and nodded. Gorman combined both of their powers and mentally propelled them forwards and Reid felt like he was being pulling out of his own body. Their surroundings soon faded out of his vision and he found himself standing in complete darkness. He looked around nervously and found that he was alone; Gorman wasn't standing at his side, but somehow, he knew the elder was still with him. Summoning his nerve, Reid tried to think as loudly as he could.

(Pogue? Are you there?)

He waited for a moment, wondering if the other boy heard him. His question was immediately answered as an invisible weight started crushing against his head. He yelped and tried to fight it back but the pain increased tremendously.

(Pogue stop! It's me, Reid!)

Just as quickly as it came, the pressure against his mind halted. The air around him was full of confusion and Reid waited for a moment, letting Pogue's power gently wash over him.

_Reid?_

The blond sighed when he heard his friend's voice radiate through his head.

(Yeah, it's me buddy.)

The air around him thinned as Pogue hesitantly let down his mental barriers.

_What's going on? How'd you get here?_

Reid fought against his normal urge to say something sharp. Pogue probably wasn't in the mood to put up with his smart-ass comments right now anyway.

(You're at Gorman's. We found you at the Danvers house and bought you back here.)

There was a long pause before Pogue spoke to him again.

_I'm at Gorman's?_

(Yeah, he's been trying to contact you since last night.)

Pogue's presence halted and faded away. Reid felt a cold chill against his skin as Pogue's warm presence left him alone in the darkness. He lingered for a moment, wondering what he should do next, when he felt Pogue's power return a short time later.

_I thought that was him, but I wasn't sure._

Reid nodded, unaware if Pogue could see it. He waited for another moment, seeing if Gorman was going to pull him back out before he decided to ask another question.

(Why weren't you letting him in then?)

_Like I said, I wasn't sure it was him._

Reid grew confused.

(Of course it was him, how many other people can get inside your head?)

A small wave of fear washed over Reid's mind and he instantly knew it came from Pogue.

(Pogue what's wrong?)

_Where's Gorman?_

(He's here with me. What's wrong?)

More fear drifted into Reid's mind as the older boy hesitated for a long time before he finally answered.

_I need to show him something._

(What?)

Pogue's presence severed their link and images started flooding through the teen's mind. Reid groaned as thousands of tiny pictures ran in front of his eyes. Suddenly he found himself back in the sitting room of the Danvers house. Pogue was standing a few short feet away from him, his eyes clearly focused on the man standing in front of him. When Reid moved his eyes to see who it was, he did a double take.

"Caleb?"

The image quickly faded and reassembled into another one. This time, both covenant members where slumped forwards and breathing deeply as if they had run a marathon and both sets of eyes were black.

Once again the image faded out and was replaced by a new one. This time, Pogue was un-conscious on the floor and Caleb stood looming over him. The older boy raised his head over Pogue's forehead and the room was filled with painful screams and wails as Caleb's powers forced their way into Pogue's mind.

The memory ended shortly after that but Reid swore he saw Caleb lean close towards Pogue's ear and whispered something that brought a dark grin to his face. He didn't have much time to wonder about it because he soon found his body being pulled backwards until he felt the hard wood floor of the colony house crash into his back. His insides turned violently as he tried to regain himself. A pair of thin hands slid under his shoulders and Reid panicked and tried to shove them off.

"Relax, it's over now." Gorman said gently. "You did very well."

Reid coughed loudly as his lungs fought hard to hold air in. His head was spinning rapidly, causing his stomach to turn it's self inside out.

"Is it always like that?"

He heard Gorman sigh behind him.

"At first, but you get used to it."

(Damn, I'm never making fun of Pogue again.)

"Just lie down there; it'll pass in a moment."

Reid didn't object as Gorman rolled him onto his side. He heard the elder's footsteps walk away from him and Reid assumed he was going to check on Pogue. After a long moment his vertigo passed and he found the strength to roll onto his knees. Footsteps echoed in the hallway but Reid could hardly hear them over the sound of his frantic heartbeat.

"Oh my god. Reid, are you okay?"

A second pair of hands touched his shoulder a second later and Reid sighed inwardly, recognizing Tyler's warmth.

"He'll be alright in a moment." Gorman called from the other side of the room.

Tyler pulled him close, letting Reid's head lean against his chest. Instantly Reid found himself relaxing in the other boy's arms.

"It's okay Reid. I got you."

Reid felt his stomach turn again, except it wasn't from his little out of body experience. It was from Tyler's warmth and before he even realized it, he burrowed closer towards him. Tyler only tightened his arms and held him closer.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"So, Caleb's alive then?"

"That's what I saw, or what Pogue saw anyway." Reid sighed and brushed his blond bangs off his face with the back of his hand.

The movement made him dizzy a few moments later and he groaned quietly. His head was still spinning violently after viewing Pogue's memories and he was reduced to spending half of the morning on the couch in the sitting room waiting for his sudden case of vertigo to pass. The rest of his morning was spent sitting at Gorman's old dusty kitchen table with his head buried in his arms. Tyler was at his side the whole time, always rubbing his shoulder softly when he groaned and whispering reassuring words in his ear.

Tyler even held his hand a few times as well and Reid's stomach always did a full turn whenever he remembered it.

"Here." Tyler touched his shoulder gently and set a coffee mug on the table in front of him.

Reid raised his head groggily and blinked.

"What is it?"

"Some kind of tea Gorman had stashed away, he said it'd help with your head." Tyler replied and sat down in the chair next to him.

Reid dared a small sniff as he pulled the mug closer towards him. "Smells awful."

"Baby."

Reid barley had enough energy to glare at the younger boy as he took a small sip. He coughed as the hot liquid burned his throat and angrily slammed the mug down.

"Stuff tastes like shit."

Tyler chuckled and Reid felt his insides flutter from the sound.

"Yeah, well, Gorman never said how it would taste, just that it'll clear your head."

"No thanks." Reid groaned and pushed the cup away from him.

Tyler's blue eyes were watching him closely and Reid felt himself squirm. Tyler was worried; his fears always shone in the depths of his crystal blue gems.

"Was it really Caleb?"

Reid sighed and dropped his hand back in the cradle of his arms.

"I don't know Ty, probably."

Tyler's mouth turned into a thin line. "But why did Caleb attack Pogue? It doesn't make any sense, he'd never hurt any of us."

"I don't know Tyler." Reid replied, his voice muffled by his arms.

"It can't be Caleb then."

"Well who the hell could it be then?"

Tyler suddenly went quiet and growing confused, Reid slowly raised his head to see what was wrong. Gorman slowly hobbled into the kitchen, his sharp eyes instantly locking onto Reid.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like shit." Reid grumbled.

Gorman mealy nodded and slowly walked over towards one of the counters. Tyler watched him nervously before he cleared his throat.

"How's Pogue doing?"

Gorman kept his back towards then.

"From what I can tell he's fine, but I'll do a full analysis when he wakes up."

"What? He's not awake yet?" Reid spoke up.

Gorman kept his back to them but Reid saw him shake his head.

"No."

Reid frowned. "But that doesn't make since. I thought he was supposed to wake up if we contacted him."

"So did I. Apparently something else is wrong with him." Gorman replied and joined them at the table with a coffee mug in his hands as well.

"Great." Reid grumbled, his head falling back into his arms. "Just so you know I'm not going inside his head again."

"There's no need for that. Pogue has already let down some of his mental defenses, so his mind is open at the moment. More then likely he's just exhausted."

"Well good, 'cause there no way in hell I'm doing that again."

A smile came to Gorman's lips. "I had no intention of making you."

"Sure you weren't." Reid said back, rolling his eyes.

Tyler and Gorman said nothing as they stared at the blond with amused looks on their face. Reid ignored them and moved his eyes down towards the table when something caught his eye. A small brown spider was slowly skittering across the table's smooth surface. A quick second later, Gorman grabbed the handle of his mug and slammed it down on the small insect, crushing it.

Reid and Tyler both stared at the elder in shock.

"What did you do that for; it was just a small spider." Tyler asked, his eyes wide.

Gorman said nothing, his eyes still firmly glued onto the rim of his mug. He stood up a moment later and hobbled out of the kitchen with a worried look on his ancient face. The two boys waited until the elder was gone before they looked at each other.

"What do you think that was about?" Tyler asked, his blue eyes once again showing his nervousness.

"I don't know." Reid sighed back. "And I have a feeling that I don't want to know."

--

( I don't know how much more of this I can take.)

Reid gave up counting the bricks lining the fireplace and glanced around the sitting room looking for something else to do. Tyler's eyes were scanning Gorman's bookshelf on the fair end of the room, apparently deciding if any of the books on the shelf would be a decent read. Reid's gaze lingered on his back for a long moment before the blond sighed loudly.

"God, this place is so fucking boring. I'd rather be at school."

Tyler chuckled and glanced over his shoulder at him. "Did I just hear Reid Garwin saying he'd rather be at school for once in his life?"

Reid rolled his eyes and went back to staring at the cold fire place once again. He was beyond feeling bored by now, there wasn't anything to do in the old colony house but sit on his ass and stare at everything.

The couched dipped slightly as Tyler sank down in the cushion next to him with a stack of books in his arms.

"What are those?"

"I don't know, stuff from Gorman's bookshelves." Tyler replied and opened the first book.

"Looks interesting." Reid shrugged and let his head fall back against the back of the couch.

The room soon fell silent, the only sound coming from Tyler's fingers as he turned the pages of his book. Every few minutes Reid's eyes would wander towards Tyler's direction, watching closely as the younger boy read the small print on the pages. Tyler was too engrossed in his book to notice Reid's stare so the blond let his eyes take in the younger boy's form more freely. His eyes roamed up Tyler's arms towards his shoulders. Even though Tyler lifted weights like the rest of their swim team they were still slender, like the rest of his wiry frame.

Reid always found a way to poke fun at Tyler's smaller frame but lately, he couldn't help but think Tyler's body was just perfect the way it was. Yep, Tyler's body was perfect, nice long legs, smooth skin–

"What the fuck!?" Reid yelped and brought a hand towards his right ear.

"What's wrong?" Tyler looked up from his book worried.

Reid rubbed his ear confused. It felt like something just bit him on the inside of his earlobe. It stung painfully and he hissed as he rubbed the irritated skin inside his ear with his finger.

"Reid, are you okay?" Tyler scooted closer and grabbed his arm. "Here, let me see."

Tyler gently moved his arm down and titled Reid's head from him to get a better look. The younger boy gasped quietly but Reid barely heard it. His body started to feel hot all of a sudden and the room was spinning in front of his eyes.

"Fuck, Reid look at me!"

Tyler turned the other boy's head around in his hands and through his blurry haze; Reid could see that Tyler's eyes were full of panic. He felt the younger boy push his body down on the couch as Tyler jumped to his feet and stood over him.

"Gorman!" Tyler yell pierced through his dizzy haze.

Reid started convulsing as his breath came in short supply. His skin felt like it was on fire and his eyes were starting to roll into the back of his head. Tyler yelled once again and the last image Reid saw before his world turned black was the younger boy's panicked expression as continued yelling for the elder covenant member.

--

(Well, that was easy.)

Chase smiled as he saw the spell completely take effect on the blond covenant member. The youngest was still standing over him, yelling for the old man to help and a long moment later Chase saw him hobble into the room with a panicked look.

(That's it, take the bait...)

Chase watched the two of them exchanging panicked words as the younger boy tried to explain what just happened and his smile only grew. He knew they'd eventually move the now un-conscious boy to another area of the house, leaving Pogue completely alone and defenseless.

Keeping his grin in place, he crouched down and waited for his moment to come.

--

"Put him in here." Gorman said as he held one the bedroom doors open.

Tyler slowly stumbled inside a moment later, a now fully unconscious Reid slumped against his shoulder. Together the two covenant members dragged Reid's body towards one of the old beds and gently set him down on it.

Tyler sighed loudly afterwards and flopped down on the edge of the bed. Since Pogue was in the bedroom downstairs they had drag Reid up two sets of stairs to one of the other bedroom and the trip wasn't easy.

(And he grumbled about Pogue needing to lose some weight.)

When he got his strength back Tyler looked over his shoulder at Reid. Sweat was forming on the boy's forehead and his mouth was shaped in a grimace. Blue veins where starting to form across Reid's face, all of them starting from near his right ear.

Gorman stood near the front of the bed, his eyes glaring down at Reid's face. "What happened?"

"I–I don't know." Tyler swallowed nervously. "We were sitting room when all of a sudden he groaned and grabbed his ear."

Gorman nodded grimly and kept his eyes on Reid's face.

"Did you see what did it?"

Tyler shook his head. "No."

Gorman sighed and dropped his head. "I'll be right back. I need to check on Pogue."

The moment after the elder said Pogue's name, the bedroom door slammed closed and locked. Gorman frowned and quickly hobbled towards the door and tried to turn the doorknob. It wouldn't move...

"No."

Tyler jump to his feet. "What's wrong?"

"It's locked."

Gorman swore and took a few steps back. His eyes flashed and turned black but the door still wouldn't open. Tyler also tried but to no resolve.

"Fuck. What the hell's going on?"

Gorman growled and threw his cane to the ground angrily.

"Damn him!"

Tyler took a few steps back. Gorman was starting to frighten him.

"What is it?"

"He's here..." The elder's shoulders dropped as Gorman sighed hopelessly. "He's running around inside this damn house and Pogue is unprotected!"

"Who is?" Tyler asked fearfully.

Gorman sighed and utter the next word so softly that Tyler almost didn't hear it.

"Caleb..."

--

With a lazy wave of his arm the front door swung open and Chase stepped inside the old house. His eyes moved back and forth slowly, taking in his surroundings. So this was the stronghold of the legendary covenant...he honestly expected better. Loud pounding could be heard from the locked door upstairs and Chase turned his head in it's direction and smiled.

(Good luck getting out there boys.)

With a satisfied grin on his face he started walking down the hall towards the far bedroom.

(It's just you and me now Pogue...)

--

Small warning, the next chapter will be rated NC-17. So please no kiddies, whiners or flamers.


	17. Chapter 17

Whew, man this is a long ass chapter. It damn near killed me. Anyway, in case you missed my warning this chapter is rated **NC-17**. Now for you all that don't give a shit about ratings it means some serious boy on boy bonking. If you don't like this kinda stuff don't read, simple as that. Flames will laughed at, mocked, and put on display for the rest of my fans to poke fun at.

As for my loyal readers who have stayed with me this far, thanks. All of the lovely reviews have only made me want to write more. Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to done my armour because things will probably be thrown at me this time

**Chapter 17**

"Shit. Gorman he's only getting worse."

Tyler removed his hand from Reid's forehead and wiped it on his pant leg. The teen's skin was still burning up and from the looks of his paleness he running a fever. The blue veins stretching across his face were starting to get uglier as well.

The elder said nothing as he sat in chair by the closed door, his expression grim as he twisted his cane nervously in his hands. Tyler bit his lip nervously as he looked back down at Reid. The veins were starting to grow down the side of his neck and disappearing underneath Reid's t-shirt. After taking another glance in Gorman's direction Tyler raised his hand and gently placed it on Reid's forehead.

"That's not going to do any good." Gorman spoke from the other side of the room.

Tyler ignored him and flashed his eyes, turning them black and the tips of his fingers started to glow with their normal red light. He ran is fingers down Reid's face and along the blue lines.

They didn't disappear.

Tyler took a deep breath and focused harder, using more of his power trying to heal Reid. He felt his energy draining rapidly but he ignored his exhaustion and continued. The veins only turned into a deeper blue color and after a long agonizing moment, Tyler was forced to remove his hand.

"Damn." He swore quietly and slumped down towards the floor, leaning his back against the bed frame.

"I do believe I told you it wouldn't help." Gorman sighed from his chair. "It'll clear up when he's done."

"What?" Tyler asked, not even having enough energy to raise his head.

"Caleb has a spell on him; it'll lift when he's done."

"Done with what?"

"I don't know." Gorman growled slightly and turned his head towards the closed door. "All I know is that Caleb came here for something and the spell he put on Reid and the bloody door won't lift until he's gone."

Tyler thumped his head against the side of the bed. "Damn, what the hell are we supposed to do till then?"

Gorman's answer was simple.

"We wait and pray that Caleb won't harm Pogue anymore then he already has."

"Great." Tyler groaned and thumped his head against the bed once again.

--

_Pogue, wake up._

Pogue groaned as consciousness slowly came back to him. His head throbbed painfully as something dark gently probed against his mind.

_Pogue..._

Pogue slowly opened his eyes and blinked them until they focused. The old cracked ceiling of the colony house soon came into view and Pogue frowned. How did he get here? His confusion only lasted a moment before he remembered what Reid had told him.

He slowly sat up, pulling the thin blanket off his stomach and rolled his feet to the floor. His head spun from the movement and he raised his hands to his temples and rubbed them gently. Something gently brushed across his mind and Pogue startled.

He wasn't alone...

His eyes moved towards the doorway and froze when they recognized the dark figure standing in it. A quick second later the lamp on the night stand turned on and Pogue nearly fell off the side of the bed when he got a good look at who it was.

"Caleb?"

Caleb was across the room and crouching in front of him in the blink of an eye. His brown eyes weren't filled with malice or anger like their previous encounter; they were staring at him with their normal warm glow.

"Pogue listen, I only have a moment before he comes back–" Caleb said quickly, fear and worry burned inside of his brown eyes. "I need you to do something for me."

"What?" Pogue stared at Caleb dumbstruck. "Caleb what's going on–"

Caleb's hands grabbed Pogue's shoulder roughly as he spoke. "Pogue just listen. I need you to help me."

Pogue jumped from the contact, fearing the older boy was trying to strangle him. However, Caleb's hands stayed still on Pogue's shoulders.

"What do you want me to do?" Pogue asked helplessly, still wondering what was going on.

Caleb swallowed deeply and his voice was raspy and deep as he spoke.

"That thing you found in my house, I need you to find it."

Pogue searched his mind; most of his memories of what happened in the Danvers house were scattered and few. All he remembered was the realization of Chase still being alive and in control of his best friend.

"What thing?"

"The pendent that Chase found."

Small memory fragments started surfacing inside Pogue mind. He remembered finding something small and shiny on the table by the fireplace. Could that be the thing Caleb was talking about?

"What does he want with it?"

"I don't know. I just need you to get rid of it for me. Hide it, destroy it, I don't care, anything. Just don't let him find it!"

"Where is it?"

"I don't know." Caleb lowered his head. "It's here somewhere and he's looking for it. Please, don't let him find it."

Caleb's hands where shaking and Pogue knew the older boy was trying hard to keep himself together. Even though his heart was screaming for him to do so, Pogue resisted reaching for Caleb's trembling hands.

"Why does he want it? What does it do?"

"I don't know." Caleb whimpered quietly.

Pogue's chest tightened as he stared at the frightened boy crouching in front of him. He reached up and gently raised Caleb's head. The older boy's eyes were glossy and wet, looking like they'd shed tears at any moment.

(God, what has that bastard done to you?)

Anger started brewing inside of Pogue's chest, but he forced himself to stay calm.

"Caleb listen to me." He said softly, his hands still holding Caleb's face in place. "It's going to be okay. I'll find a way to help you."

Caleb's breath halted and his brown eyes gazed down at him with fear.

"Help me Pogue. I can't fight him anymore."

Before Pogue could even respond to his friend's frightened pleas, Caleb tightened his grip on Pogue's body and buried his face the empath's shoulder. Pogue was frozen to the spot, his state of shock was so sever that he wasn't able to do anything other then listen to the sound of Caleb's sobs as his friend cried helplessly into his shoulder.

He snapped out of his shock and gently moved his arms around Caleb's body, rubbing his hands over the other boy's shoulders soothingly. Caleb's grip around him tightened and, even though he tried to stop it, Pogue felt his insides tighten from the contact. How long had he been waiting for a moment like this? Even though the circumstances were less then desirable, it still didn't change the fact that Caleb was finally in his arms.

"I'll save you Caleb, I swear, I won't let that bastard destroy you."

Caleb gently shifted in his arms and brought his face back up towards Pogue's. His brown eyes were glittering in the faint light as he gazed at Pogue silently. Pogue almost squirmed from the intensity in their depths. Then out of the blue, Caleb gently raised his hand to the side of Pogue's face and brushed a strand of Pogue's blond hair behind his ear. Once again, Pogue felt his body completely freeze.

"Caleb?"

The other boy smiled and before Pogue realized it, Caleb leaned closer and gently pressed his lips against his. Pogue's eyes snapped completely open as he stared at the other boy in shock. He couldn't move. He was rooted to the spot. This couldn't be happening.

Caleb pulled away a long moment later, his eyes fully dilated as he gazed at him.

"Caleb what the hell?"

He was beyond confused at this point. Caleb just kissed him. Caleb just fucking kissed him!

"I need you." Caleb whispered softly.

"What?" Pogue asked, feeling dumber by the second.

(This can't fucking be happening.)

"I need you. I need you to make me feel whole."

Before Pogue even had a chance to comprehend what was just said to him, Caleb pushed him down on the bed and gently crawled onto him. Pogue let out a surprised grunt and stared up at his friend in disbelief.

"What the fu – Caleb?"

Caleb only smiled and leaned down over him, his face mere inches away from Pogue's.

"I need you Pogue. You always made me feel whole." Caleb said softly and lowered his mouth on Pogue's once again.

This time Pogue felt his body respond without his consent. His lips parted and allowed Caleb's tongue full entry into his mouth. The older boy didn't waste his moment, his slick tongue rubbing against Pogue's, causing the blond to moan deeply.

(I can't do this.)

Pogue forced his arms up and tried to push Caleb off of him. Sensing this, Caleb sat up and gazed down at him.

"Please Pogue. I need this, I need you. Make me feel whole again, make him go away."

Pogue only felt his confusion increase. Make him feel whole? How the hell was he supposed to do that? Caleb shifted and started gently rubbing his hips against Pogue's. The younger boy flinched at first but soon found himself groaning quietly from the wonderful friction.

(I can't do this!)

_But he wants you too..._a small voice whispered from the back of his head. Its tone dark and full of venom as it whispered to him.

Caleb's hands rubbed up and down his sides gently, slowly sliding Pogue's thin t-shirt up, revealing the tight skin of his stomach. A quick second later Caleb's hot breath brushed against his skin as the older boy leaned down and lightly planted kisses along the tight ridge of skin.

Pogue groaned loudly, his back arching as the soft lips started working their way upwards as Caleb's hands continued sliding his shirt up, inch by inch until Pogue was forced to sit up and tear it off. Caleb then went back to exploring his chest.

(This is wrong. Caleb doesn't want this.)

_Yes he does..._The voice whispered again, its dark voice encouraging him on.

A gasp tore from his throat as Caleb's tongue gently grazed over one of his nipples. His hot mouth completely covered it a quick second later, his teeth lightly biting it to make the small bud harden.

(Caleb's confused. Chase has been fucking with his head; he doesn't know what's going on.)

_He says he needs you...are you going to deny him that?_

"Pogue." Caleb whispered softly, his lips moving up the side of Pogue's neck.

Pogue shuttered and brought his hands up towards the back of Caleb's head, tangling his fingers in Caleb's dark hair. The older boy moved his mouth back towards Pogue's and their tongues clashed once again.

(I shouldn't be doing this. It isn't right.)

_Yes it is. Caleb said he wanted you..._

Pogue started sliding his arms up Caleb's muscled back towards his broad chest. His fingers pushed into the open folds of Caleb's coat and he pulled the heavy cloth off, letting it slid off the side of the bed towards the floor. Not feeling satisfied, his hands then reached for the hem of Caleb's shirt and tugged at the fabric until Caleb sat up straighter and helped him pull it off. Pogue's eyes hungrily roamed over the broad muscles of Caleb's well-defined chest and shoulders when the troubling fabric was removed.

How many years had he been dreaming of this? How many times had he seen Caleb walk around shirtless and tried like hell to resist running his fingers across the smooth skin?

A lazy smile came to Caleb's face as his fingers gently wrapped around Pogue's wrist and he slowly glided Pogue's fingers across his chest. Pogue's eyes drifted closed. Caleb's skin was so warm and soft under his fingertips.

(He feels just as good as I thought he would.)

"Pogue." Caleb moaned softly as he guided Pogue's fingers down his chest.

They ghosted across his stomach, feeling the softness from the baby-fat entwined with hard muscle around Caleb's abs until they touched something cold. Pogue opened his eyes and saw that Caleb was holding his hand on his belt buckle and looking down at him with lust filled eyes.

Pogue swallowed and sat up, his eyes never leaving Caleb's. As much as he wanted this – and god, did he ever – it didn't feel right.

"Caleb look, we need to stop. This isn't right."

The other boy blinked and stared down at him.

"But I want it and I know you do too."

"You don't want it; Chase is screwing with your head. Caleb you're not yourself–"

"Yes I am." Caleb interrupted him. "Chase isn't here, it's just me."

Pogue gazed at him for a moment before he sighed and resulted to drastic measures, using his powers to feel the air around Caleb. He didn't feel anything for a moment but soon he started picking up emotions, lust, desire, and hunger. He dove deeper, trying to see if Chase's dark presence was around them. He felt nothing... Chase was no where to be found.

(It's really him then.)

Caleb was still staring at him, his eyes slowly lowering.

"Do you still want me?" He asked, his voice sounding small and childish.

Pogue gazed into Caleb's eyes once again, looking for any sign of Chase before he sighed and placed his hands on Caleb's shoulders.

"Yes." He whispered as he pulled Caleb closer.

(Yes, yes, yes. God **YES**!)

The older covenant member locked their lips together once again and guided Pogue's fingers back down towards his belt. The empath's fingers grazed across the cold metal again and without hesitating, they pulled Caleb's buckle back and ripped the leather from its holsters.

Caleb broke away and started moving his mouth across the skin of Pogue's neck and shoulder. Pogue's fingers fumbled with the button on Caleb's jeans and the older boy's hand once again helped him along, pulling the copper button out of its hole.

(I can't believe I'm doing this...)

With trembling fingers, Pogue slid the denim down Caleb's hips and the older boy wiggled out of them and kicked them towards the floor his foot. He reached for Caleb's boxers when suddenly the dark-haired boy grabbed his hand and pulled it away.

"Caleb?"

The older boy smiled devilishly at him and then pushed Pogue down on his back. His large body crawled over him and once again he placed hot kisses along Pogue's chest. Pogue groaned, his fingers grabbing at Caleb's hair as the older boy worked his way down towards his pants and grabbed at the zipper. He pulled the small metal bit down and slid his hand in the opening.

"Shit..." Pogue gasped as Caleb's hands started rubbing his now hardening cock through the material of his boxers.

He felt his jeans being pulled down his legs and soon all he was left in was his thin boxers. Caleb's hand slid under the thin cotton and Pogue's breath hitched as Caleb's warm hands gently touched his length. His boxers were pulled off a moment later and Caleb watched his hardening member with desire filled eyes. One quick movement later and Caleb was lapping at the head with tongue, making Pogue squirm and moan loudly.

(God, this shouldn't feel this good...)

_Yes it should...you've wanted him for so long..._

Caleb then took him in fully, his hot mouth completely engulfing Pogue's swelling organ. Pogue groaned and dug his fingers into the bedspread underneath his fingers. Caleb started bobbing his head slowly, his tongue swirling around the head.

"Yes, god Caleb–"

(Where the fuck did he learn to do this?)

Caleb's hot mouth worked him over for another minute, extracting more throaty groans from Pogue's mouth before he pulled away and sat back on knees.

"Pogue...please. I can't wait anymore."

It took a long moment before Pogue could get himself to think clearly.

"What?"

Caleb didn't answer verbally; instead he leaned forwards and lightly ground his hips against Pogue's once again, signaling what he wanted.

(Oh fuck no. This can't be happening.)

_He wants you..._

The voice inside his head grew more demanding as Caleb continued rubbing against him. God, it felt so good. Pogue couldn't help but whimper quietly.

(This can't be real.)

_Yes it is. He wants you, take him..._

Caleb gave a forceful thrust with his hips and Pogue's resolve finally snapped. With one movement, he hooked an arm around Caleb's torso and rolled them over until he was on top. Brown eyes gazed up at him hungrily and he was entranced by their warm glow. He could never resist those brown eyes and he wasn't about to start now.

His mouth lunged for the soft skin of Caleb's throat, sucking the hot skin gently, making the older boy groan. Moving downwards, Pogue's mouth drifted across Caleb's Adams-apple and down his firm chest. The older boy moaned and arched up against him as Pogue's mouth moved downwards towards the only bit of clothing he had left. Not wasting a second, Pogue's fingers burrowed under the hem of Caleb's boxers and tore them off, leaving the other boy completely exposed.

Pogue's eyes lingered over Caleb's nude body for a long moment, taking in every detail and curve. His attention was drawn back towards Caleb when he heard the darker haired boy whimper quietly.

"Why'd you stop?"

Pogue gazed down at him, trying to commit the image of Caleb exposed and wanting inside his memory forever. After a moment, Caleb reached up and ran his fingers through Pogue's long hair. He sat up and whispered two words that would echo inside Pogue's mind for all time.

"Take me..."

Pogue's heart skipped a beat as he looked down into Caleb's warm brown eyes.

"You sure?"

Caleb's answer was a throaty moan and he once against rubbed his hips against Pogue's once again. Pogue took that as a yes and moved Caleb's legs around his waist. He brought his fingers towards Caleb's mouth and slipped them passed the boy's soft lips.

Caleb smiled around his fingers and lightly ran his tongue over them, making sure he wetted them thoroughly. Pogue moaned, even the light touches of Caleb's tongue over his fingers was erotic. He withdrew his fingers, their tips glistening with Caleb's saliva, and slowly moved them down towards Caleb's hidden entrance. His fingers slipped under Caleb's leg and rubbed against the tight pucker of muscle. The older boy's head fell back as he whimpered, his fingers digging into Pogue's shoulders roughly.

"Pogue."

His finger gently probed inside the tight ring of muscle enjoying the sight of the other boy thrashing underneath him.

"More." Caleb gasped.

Pogue obliged, sliding another finger inside of him. Caleb's fingers dug in deeper into his shoulders, leaving marks. A third finger was soon added and by this time Caleb was wailing and arching up against him.

"Pogue please, more!"

_He wants more...give it to him._

Pogue removed his fingers and angled his hips against Caleb's entrance as he slowly entered the other boy. Caleb groaned quietly and tightened his legs around Pogue's waist. Pogue moaned as well, Caleb felt so good; so good it was sinful. The older boy rocked his hips against Pogue's, encouraging the other boy to move. Pogue obeyed and slowly started thrusting deep into the warmth that surrounded him. In, out, in, out, in, out. Caleb felt so good, his muscles tightening around Pogue's cock as he thrust deeper inside of him.

Caleb pulled him down in a forceful kiss, tongues and teeth clashing as their bodies moved with each other.

(He's so tight, god he feels so good.)

_Of course he does…_

Caleb's arms tightened around Pogue's shoulders, signaling his body was close to climaxing. Pogue was too, his stamina quickly fading as he pounded into the warm flesh under him. Caleb's body jerked as his thrusts brushed against his sweet-spot, making him moan loudly.

"Pogue."

The sound of his name drifting out of Caleb's lips caused Pogue's whole body to shutter. He pounded into Caleb's body harder, enjoying the sensation of the boy's insides tightly clenching around him.

"Pogue, I'm close." Caleb gasped, his whole body twisting under Pogue's movements.

Pogue's hand soon found his hard cock a moment later and started rubbing it in time with his thrusts, making Caleb wail loudly as his release spilled over Pogue's finger tips and in between both of their sweaty stomachs.

Caleb groaned weekly and slumped back against the bed exhausted. Pogue halted his movements, looking down at the wondrous sight under him. Caleb's whole body was covered in sweat, his pale skin glistening in the faint lamplight.

After a long moment, Pogue readjusted himself and continued his movements. Caleb tightened his legs around his waist, giving full access to his body as the other boy chased his own orgasm. Pogue moaned deep inside his throat as he came, his hot seed spilling deep inside of Caleb's spent body. The other boy's back arched from the sensation, more sweat sounds coming from his mouth.

Pogue gasped as he emptied himself. His fingers were trembling as a burning sensation tore through his entire body. The blood inside his veins felt like it was on fire as it surged through his whole body, feeling like at any moment it'd tear his skin open. His organs were twisting inside of him and his subconscious was trembling as something powerful awoke deep inside of him. Something that was hidden, but felt like it was always there, waiting in the darkness.

Pogue hovered over Caleb for a moment, before his shaking arms gave out and he rolled to the side in order to keep the older boy from being crushed under his weight. Caleb remained where he was, his sweaty chest heaving as he panted deeply. Pogue's body was still twisting it's self inside out as he turned his head and stared at the boy next to him. The sight was so surreal it was almost like one of his dreams. He reached his arm out, intending to touch the other boy's chest when Caleb's breath hitched and he suddenly bolted upright. Fear touched the back of Pogue's mind sharply and he quickly grew concerned.

"What's wrong?"

Caleb ignored him, his brown eyes widening and rapidly moving back and forth across the room.

Growing fearful, Pogue also sat up and gently touched Caleb's shoulder.

"Caleb?"

The older boy flinched and whipped his head around.

"Where am I?"

Pogue frowned, his heart falling into his stomach.

"What do you mean; you're at Gorman's."

Caleb swallowed deeply, his eyes widening. "How did I get here?"

"What? Caleb what the hell are you talking about?"

Caleb didn't answer; he lowered his head and stared down at his hands as if he never saw them before. Pogue saw his shoulders drop slightly and he could've sworn he heard Caleb's breath hitch again.

"Caleb?"

Caleb said nothing.

"Caleb what's wrong?" Pogue was growing more fearful by the minute.

"Pogue." Caleb's voice was dark as he spoke. "I need you to do something for me."

Pogue's stomach turned painfully.

"What?"

"I need, I need you too–" Caleb's voice cracked as the older boy swallowed.

"What?" He asked, his fear starting to override everything around him.

Caleb kept his back to him; his voice was starting to tremble as he spoke.

"If I ask you to do something, will you promise to do it?"

His stomach was turning it's self inside out. What was wrong? One minute things where wonderful and then...

"What do you want me to do?"

Caleb took a deep breath, his shoulders dropping once again as he whispered his answer.

"Kill me..."

"What? Caleb what's going on?"

Caleb finally turned his head; his eyes were dark.

"I can't fight him anymore. He's too strong." Tears were starting to fall from Caleb's eyes. "I need you to kill me."

"Caleb you can't be serious."

Pogue tried to reach for him but Caleb moved away.

"Please Pogue! I need you to help me. Kill me before I hurt someone else, please!"

"Caleb, I can't."

"Pogue I don't want to hurt anymore people. Help me. Do it while I'm in control."

Tears were now falling in rivers down Caleb's cheeks. Before Pogue could react, Caleb reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Use your powers, a knife, I don't care. Just do it..."

Caleb placed his hand on his chest right above his heart. His eyes were wide and pleading as they gazed at Pogue, silently willing him to do as he asked.

"Caleb, I can't. I'd never hurt you."

"Please, it's the only way to stop Chase. It's the only way to keep me from hurting anymore people."

"I can't."

"Pogue, I need you too, it's the only way–"

"Caleb, I can't!"

"Please." Caleb pleaded his brown eyes full of pain.

"Caleb stop it! Can't you see that I can't?" Pogue yelled, his own eyes starting to water. "I can't do it Caleb. I love you too damn much."

At that, Caleb's eyes darkened and the other boy swallowed deeply.

"Pogue, if you really love me then do as I ask." The older boy sobbed, still holding Pogue's hand over his heart. "Save me..."

Pogue swallowed deeply. "Caleb...I can't.

Caleb's eyes darkened and he lowered his head.

"Caleb listen to me. You can fight him, you're stronger then he is. Gorman can help you."

"No he can't." Caleb sobbed as he slowly slid away from Pogue's reach. "No one can."

"Yes we can Caleb. Don't give up." Pogue reached forwards and grabbed the side of Caleb's head. "I promise I'll find a way to help you."

Caleb gazed at him, his eyes glossily and full of more tears.

"You can't. He's too strong."

"Caleb I swear, I'll save you!"

Caleb swallowed once again and lowered his head. Pogue removed his hands hesitantly.

"Caleb?"

The other boy didn't raise his head. His fingers slowly curled together into fists and his shoulders straightened.

"Caleb?"

Caleb's head shot up and his eyes were black as night, forcing Pogue to slide back a few inches. Caleb was now glaring at him darkly and Pogue immediately recognized the source of his friend's odd behavior; Chase was in control again.

"How pathetic can you possibly be? He asked for you're help–he fucking begged for it and you reject him. Some friend you are."

Pogue balled his fists and stood up, ignoring the fact that he was still naked.

"You asshole. You were controlling him the whole time?"

Caleb laughed again, the sound of it making Pogue's skin crawl.

"Well, not the whole time but most of it. That was quite the lovely little show you two put on."

Pogue's fingers tightened, his nails where starting to cut into the skin of his palm.

"You sick fuck."

Caleb smiled and stood up. "Maybe, but that didn't stop you from taking advantage of him. And I thought you were his friend."

Pogue growled. Even though he'd rather die then admit it, Chase was right. He took advantage of Caleb.

"So tell me Pogue, how does it feel to finally get what you want?"

"You sorry fuck. I'm gonna kill you." Pogue yelled, his eyes turning black.

"Now, now, you wouldn't hurt your dear Caleb now would you? What was that you said; 'I'd never hurt you, I love you too damn much', something like that?"

Pogue glared at him, his mouth twisting into a snarl.

"I swear I'm going to fucking rip your heart out!"

Caleb merely smiled. "Pogue, we both know that isn't going to happen. Now you'll have to excuse me, I have more important things to do then exchange meaningless threats with you."

Before Pogue could move the light on the night stand click off and Caleb disappeared. Pogue's hands were shaking and he quickly fell onto the bed before his legs could give out.

(Oh god, oh god. What have I done...?)

--

Now before you all riot let me assure you there will be some good coming out of this...and the next sex part will be much happier. (Hides behind shield)


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

(Come on you bastard, open!)

Tyler groaned and tugged as hard as he could on the doorknob once again. He tightened his grip and tried to use as much of his weight as he could when he leaned back, hoping the force would jar the door open.

(Come on!)

"Dammit." He swore and kicked the wooden door angrily.

"Tyler that's not going to help." Came Gorman's annoyed sigh.

Tyler glared over his shoulder at him.

"Well its better then sitting on my ass doing nothing." Tyler snapped and gave the door one more kick.

Gorman said nothing as he turned his attention back towards the handle of his cane. Tyler kicked the door a few more times and then gave up.

"Damn." He sighed helplessly and walked back towards the bed.

He flopped back down on the edge and once again placed his hand on Reid's sweaty forehead. The blond's skin was still burning underneath his palm and the horrible blue veins were still stretched across his face and neck.

Tyler grimaced from the sight. Reid looked like he was getting worse; as a matter of fact, Tyler could already see the blue line starting to form on Reid's hand. He seriously considering trying to heal him again, maybe this time it'd work.

He was about to raise his hand when Gorman stopped him.

"Don't you even think about it."

Tyler stared at him. "But he's getting worse–"

"Do I have to hit you with my cane boy?" Gorman growled annoyed. "I told you he'd be fine."

"But–Gorman look at him. He's getting worse."

The elder didn't answer him, but Tyler could easily tell he was worried. Fear started balling inside of his throat and Tyler quickly swallowed it down. He raised his hand again, feeling Gorman's sharp eyes boring at him from across the room as he did so, and gently grabbed Reid's hand.

Even though the blond's forehead was burning up, the tips of Reid's fingers were icy cold and Tyler curled his fingers around Reid' palm, trying to get some warmth into the other boy's fingers. He glanced over his shoulder at Gorman and waited until the elder wasn't paying attention and turned his eyes black. The tips of his fingers lit up with a warm red light and he used a small portion of his powers to ease the warmth through Reid's entire body.

The blond moaned softly and curled his fingers around Tyler's hand, seeking the source of the warmth that coursed through him. Tyler smiled weekly, his powers still working through the unconscious boy under him. Suddenly a soft click sounded inside the small bedroom and Tyler withdrew his powers fully. Gorman was on his feet and already halfway towards the door when Tyler turned his head.

"It's unlocked." The elder sighed relieved and pulled the bedroom door open.

Without so much as a second glance, Gorman speed from the room and his footsteps could be heard hobbling down the stairs. Tyler looked back down at Reid and saw the blue lines on his face start to fade away. He sighed relieved and was about to lower his arm when he saw a small brown spider wiggled out from Reid's right ear and crumble into dust on the bedding under him. Reid groaned quietly and his eyes fluttered under their closed eyelids a moment later.

"Reid?" Tyler leaned over him and shook his shoulder gently.

The blond's eyes slowly opened and drifted around the room blankly until they focused. They locked on Tyler a moment later.

"Tyler?"

Tyler's heart swelled from the sound of Reid's voice and threw his arms around Reid's shoulders a quick second later.

"Thank god you're okay."

Reid's body stayed still underneath him but his arm moved up around Tyler's shoulders a moment later. Tyler smiled and dug deeper into Reid's shoulder, enjoying the feel of the other boy's normal warmth against his cheek.

Their moment was soon interrupted by the sound of Gorman's cane striking the ground as the elder hobbled up the staircase. Tyler gently pulled away, a slight blush staining his cheeks pink. He turned his head towards the doorway and watched as Gorman stalked past it the room without a second look and pulled open the door to another other bedroom.

Growing nervous, Tyler turned back towards Reid and cleared his throat.

"I'll be right back, just relax and try to get some rest okay."

Reid silently nodded, his eyes were already drifting closed before Tyler could finish. His head fell back against the pillow underneath him and the room was filled with the sounds of the blond's soft breathing. Tyler quietly slid off the edge of the bed and crossed the room. He glanced over his shoulder at Reid as he left, smiling from the sight of blond finally sleeping normally, and stepped out into the hallway.

Rustling and the sounds of stuff being moved came from the far bedroom and Tyler walked down the hall and stuck his head inside the open doorway. Gorman was tearing through the area by his bed, throwing things over his shoulder and swearing madly.

"Gorman what's wrong?"

"Go check on Pogue!" Gorman yelled, not even turning his head.

Tyler flinched slightly from the elder's tone and wasted no time leaving the room and heading back down the hallway. He glanced in Reid's room one more time before heading down the stairs to the first floor.

The main door to the house was still wide open, the wind blowing wildly inside the house, knocking things over. He stumbled towards the door and slammed it shut before trudging down the hallway towards the bedroom.

He took a deep breath before approaching the open doorway, his eyes scanning the small room for his friend. Pogue was sitting on the floor on the far side of the room, wearing only his jeans and they looked rumpled and thrown on carelessly. Even though he looked fully awake, his eyes were staring at the far wall unfocused.

Tyler swallowed nervously and slowly entered the room.

"Pogue?"

The older boy didn't answer, nor did he even blink.

"Pogue? You alright?" Tyler crouched down next to him.

Still nothing, Pogue looked like he was far away. Tyler's eyes moved around Pogue's body nervously, noticing a large set of scratches across the other boy's shoulders. They looked like they were from someone's fingernails. Entranced, Tyler raised his hand and reached out to touch the scratches. His fingers gently trailed across the broken skin and Pogue startled and turned his head. Coal black eyes stared back at Tyler, ready to lash out if the older boy felt threatened.

"Pogue easy, it's me." Tyler said softly, holding his hands up. "It's Tyler."

Pogue's shoulders were coiled tight as he stared Tyler down. After a long, uncomfortable moment, Pogue relaxed and the older boy turned his dark eyes back towards the far wall again.

"Pogue, what happened?" Tyler asked, his eyes once again looking down at the scratches.

The older boy didn't answer him; he continued staring blankly at the wall, his eyes still black. The soft pounding of Gorman's cane sounded in the hallway and the elder appeared in the doorway a moment later.

"Well, he found it." Gorman swore under his breath as he hobbled inside the room. "Pogue are you alright?"

Once again, Pogue didn't answer. He didn't even blink.

Gorman sighed and leaned over his cane. The elder's eyes bore into Pogue's forehead and Tyler assumed he was using his powers to search Pogue's memories. Their staring match lasted for a while, making Tyler flinch from the feel Gorman's powers circling around him.

Gorman finally blinked and lowered his head. "Tyler, why don't you go check on Reid and make sure he's recovering well."

Tyler frowned and glared at him. Like hell he was going to leave Pogue's side when the other boy was like this.

He shook his head. "No."

"Tyler." Gorman turned his sharp eyes towards him. "I'm not asking you."

Gorman's powers jabbed at his mind sharply, causing him to squirm uncomfortably.

"Fine." He growled, tossing Gorman another glare.

Gorman eyed him closely as he got to his feet and Tyler gave him another glare. He lingered for a small moment, watching Pogue stare at the far wall, before sighing and walking towards the doorway.

He paused outside in the hallway, straining his ear to see if he'd hear anything. He mentally scolded himself after a moment, he knew this was stupid since Gorman could easily sense him standing out there, but at the moment he really didn't care. He wanted answers dammit! He waited, his ears closely listing to all of the sounds that drifted out of the room. He was about ready to give up when he heard Gorman sigh loudly.

"Pogue, its Gorman. I need you to tell me what happened."

Tyler listened for the sound of Pogue's voice but heard nothing but silence.

"Pogue. I know you can hear me. If you won't tell me then for god's sake show me. I need to know what Chase did."

(Chase?)

Tyler felt a cold chill roll down the back of his spine. Chase was still alive?

He waited for anther moment, seeing if Pogue would answer the elder's question. He didn't and Tyler took the opportunity to slip away before Gorman's powers could recognize his presence.

--

(Chase is still alive...?)

Tyler nervously wrung his fingers together as he sat on the edge of Reid's bed, recalling everything he overheard. Chase was still alive...and he was just here?

(But that doesn't make any sense. Gorman said it was Caleb who was prowling through the house, was Chase here too?)

Reid groaned softly behind him and gently rolled on his side. Tyler glanced over his shoulder at the blond, seeing that Reid was still in his deep sleep. Tyler watched him closely for a moment before resuming his train of thought.

(Chase and Caleb? What the hell's going on? Are they together on this?)

Tyler brought a knee close to his chest and rested his chin on it. Hundreds of thoughts were buzzing around inside of his skull but none of them were providing him with any suitable answers.

(But that doesn't make any sense. Caleb would never help Chase, or attack Reid and Pogue. He'd never hurt any of us.)

Fear started clawing away at his resolve and Tyler drew his knee closer towards his chest. None of this made any sense to him and he was growing furious at the fact that Gorman was keeping him in the dark.

(Why doesn't he trust me? I just want to help.)

_Maybe he thinks you can't handle it... you can't even handle your own powers._

Tyler swallowed hard. The little voice inside of his head was right. What good would he do, he couldn't even control his own powers sometimes?

Like the night when _ascended_, he barely had his new powers for a full minute before they went out of control and destroyed his family's home. Or the night at Nicky's when Aaron Abbot cornered him and slammed his fist in Tyler's gut. His powers retaliated even before he fell to the ground and Aaron was sent into the side of a nearby truck. Even though the other boy walked away a few hours later fine and not remembering a single thing Tyler remembered it all vividly.

He glanced down at his hands and saw that his fingers were shaking. He flexed them a few times; trying to force the painful memories back down into their depths. A soft moan grabbed his attention and thankful for the distraction, he turned his head towards Reid. The blond's eyes were open and looking at him curiously.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Tyler replied, clearing his throat. "How are you feeling?"

"M' alright. Just tired." The blond said around a yawn, his eyes still fogged over with sleep. "And freezing."

Tyler looked down and sure enough saw small goose bumps starting to form on Reid's arm.

"I'll find you a blanket." Tyler mumbled and was about to slid of the bed when Reid grabbed his arm gently.

"Don't bother. Come 'mere." He said sleepily and tugged on Tyler's arm.

Tyler was surprised but didn't struggle as Reid pulled him down against his chest. Judging from his groggy voice and slurred words, Tyler guess the blond was still half-asleep and complied, resting his head against Reid's shoulder. Sure enough, Tyler felt Reid's skin start to warm up underneath him. The darker-haired boy sighed and hesitantly laid his arm on Reid's stomach. He regretted it a quick moment later and moved his arm away. Reid grumbled a few unknown words sleepily and grabbed Tyler's wrist and moved it back on his chest. The younger boy froze and gazed up at Reid's face nervously, wondering what was going on inside the blonde's head.

Was Reid even aware of what he just did? Did he even know whose hand that was? Tyler's questions were answered a short time later when Reid's eyes fluttered sleepily and looked down at him.

"Why are you hands shaking?"

Tyler stared at his hand and saw that it was still shaking from his memories. He quickly swallowed his fear down.

"Cold I guess."

Reid stared down at their joined hands for a moment before his eyes finally closed and his head sleepily fell back into the pillow under him. Tyler's blue eyes watched him entranced before they too drifted closed. He settled his head into a more comfortable position on Reid's shoulder and let his exhaustion drag him into a peaceful darkness.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

The dusty floorboards creaked underneath his foot, forcing Pogue to freeze in his movements.

He didn't hear any movement from upstairs so hopefully he didn't wake anyone. He waited for another moment, his eyes watching the top rail of the stairs closely before he quietly made his way towards the front door. There was no way in hell he was going to stay in this house any longer, not after what happened.

He turned the doorknob slowly and made sure he didn't use too much forced when he pulled the door open. The early morning air was thick and cold and hit him in full force as stepped out onto the old brick porch. He shrugged into his jacket and wrapped it around himself as tight as he could before he set off on his long, lonely walk. He knew the smart thing to do was wait for Tyler to wake up and convince the younger boy to take him home but truth be told, Pogue honestly felt like walking the whole way.

Besides, after what he did he didn't deserve any type of comfort.

The soft earth crunched quietly under his footsteps as he started his long walk down the dirt road. He gave the old colony house one more look over his shoulder as it slowly disappeared from his view behind the long limbs of the many pine trees that grew along the dirt road.

--

Tyler yawned sleepily and snuggled deeper into the warm cloth against his cheek.

Sunlight was starting to brush against his closed eyelids but he refused to open them. For the first time in months he had a peaceful, dreamless sleep. No nightmares, no frightening images, just a warm presence that sheltered him during the night. He couldn't even begin to explain how wonderful that feeling was...even if it came from an unexpected source.

Awareness soon came to him and his blue eyes sleepily opened. The bedroom was full of bright sunlight and Tyler had to blink a few times in order to get them to focus. Reid was still fast asleep next to him; his arm was still wrapped tightly around Tyler's shoulder.

Tyler sat up and inspected the sleeping boy more closely. The color had finally returned to Reid's face and his breathing wasn't labored like it was the night before. Tyler breathed a relieved sigh; Reid was going to be okay.

He gently rolled out of Reid's grip and sat on the edge of the bed. There wasn't a clock in the room but judging from the bright rays of sunlight shining in through the room's large window he guessed it was in the early hours of the morning. The house was oddly silent; the only sound Tyler could hear was Reid's soft breathing coming from behind him and the silence was starting to make him feel uneasy.

He glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping blond before slowly crossing the room and heading towards the stairwell. His footsteps seamed to be three times louder in the silence as he reached the first floor. Even though the rest of the house was covered in sunlight, the first floor hall was pitch black, causing Tyler to feel even more uneasy. He paused at the closed door of the bedroom Pogue had occupied for the past day and a half and stared at it curiously.

There wasn't any sounds coming from the other side which suggested that Pogue was either asleep or still in his catatonic state again. Tyler felt a small tug at his heartstrings as he remembered the night before. He still had no idea what happened between Pogue and Chase but he knew it wasn't anything good.

He held his ear against the closed door for another moment, listening closely. He still couldn't hear anything and after a long moment he pulled his ear away from the door, his hand reaching for the doorknob. He felt guilty for invading Pogue's privacy like this but he wanted to make sure the other boy was alright. The door slowly swung open and Tyler stuck his head inside. The room was still dark and after his eyes adjusted Tyler was able to make out the various shapes inside of the room.

Unfortunately, his eyes weren't able to find Pogue anywhere. His fingers fumbled for the light switch and when it clicked on it became clear that Pogue wasn't in the room anywhere. A crushing weight fell into Tyler's stomach as he stared at the empty room. There was a set of soft footsteps heading up the hallway behind him but Tyler's eyes didn't move from the empty room.

"I take it you've noticed Pogue's absence." Gorman sighed a few short feet away from him.

Tyler turned his head towards the elder. Gorman's eyes were narrow and his face looked tired. It was obvious the elder had been up for hours.

"Where'd he go?"

Gorman shook his head and slowly headed towards the sitting room. "His apartment I assume, despite the warnings I gave him."

Tyler stared at Gorman's retreating frame for a moment before he followed him.

"Why did he leave?"

Gorman was standing in front of a book shelf, looking it's contents over closely. "I expect that it has something to do with what happened the other night"

"I got that part but what happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I didn't get much of a chance to ask Pogue."

Tyler studied the elder closely. It was obvious that Gorman was lying to him and he was really getting sick of the elder keeping him in the dark.

"Are you going to stop lying to me sometime soon because it's really getting old?"

Gorman turned around and gazed at him with a confused look. "What?"

"You've been hiding something from Reid and me ever since we found Pogue at the Danvers house and I'm getting tired of it. I know Chase is still alive and that he was here last night." Tyler's voice turned cold as he finished. "He hurt Pogue didn't he?"

Gorman's hand halted against the spine of a book. He elder sighed and lowered his head.

"Yes..."

The familiar weight settled inside of Tyler's stomach once again.

"What did he do to him?"

"I don't know." Gorman said quietly. "But, I have a good guess."

Tyler really didn't like the sound of that. He knew Chase was a monster, the man attacked without mercy and just the thought of him being alone with Pogue again...all Tyler could think of was Pogue lying in the Intensive Care ward once more. He was drawn out of his thoughts when he heard Gorman's footsteps approach him.

"Tyler, I need you to do something for me."

Tyler blinked and slowly swallowed the lump growing inside of his throat.

"What."

"I need you to keep a close eye on Pogue, make sure you're in constant contact with him at all times. If he starts acting any differently I want you to inform me and for god's sake, don't let him wander off alone again."

Tyler stared at Gorman for a long time before he shakily answered. "Okay, I swear I'll keep an eye on him."

"Good." Gorman nodded and retreated back towards his bookshelves. "When Reid wakes up I want the two of you to go back to your dorms. You'll be safe there."

Once again Tyler nodded.

"Alright, what about you?"

Gorman pulled a few books from the shelf and tossed them onto the chair next to it.

"I'll be fine. I have some research to do."

--

(Can it get any damn colder?)

Pogue grumbled and tightened his jacket around himself, the wind brushing against him in a heavy wave. Over the past hour he managed to cover a decent distance between himself and the colony house and he was only few miles away from the edge of town. By now his legs felt like they were on fire and he was seriously short of breath but he forced himself onward.

He didn't care, he deserved this. As a matter of a fact, he deserved a hell of a lot more. He still couldn't believe he fell for Chase's trick. He should've known better! He should've seen through Caleb's advances.

He should've seen that Caleb honestly didn't want him!

The whole left side of his chest swelled painfully as the painful memories slowly came back to him. God he should've known better, he shouldn't have been so fucking stupid! Tears started to form inside of his eyes and quickly wiped them away with the back of his hand and continued walking. He's have plenty of time to drown in his misery when he was back home.

For several long minutes Pogue fought extremely hard to keep his mind clear but it didn't work. Every time his eyes blinked pieces of the previous night played behind them and although he didn't want to admit it, he enjoyed every second.

Once again the pressure on the left side of his chest came back, except this time it wasn't painful. The whole left side of his chest fluttered with a small warmth. Confused, he raised his hand and held it against his heart. The skin under his palm was warm, despite the immense cold breeze blowing down the dirt road. Something blew over in the far distance and made a loud impact as it hit the ground, causing Pogue to raise his head and look at his surrounds for the first time.

He was standing less then thirty feet away from the wreckage that had once been Putnum Barn.

A piercing shiver ran down Pogue's spine as the dark remains of the old barn stared back at him. The wood was weather torn and warped; the remains had a thick air of sorrow that hovered around them. Pogue's throat tightened as he stared at the remnants. Ever since he was little this place always made him feel uneasy but now all it made him feel was hate. This was where Chase and Caleb fought that night; this was the place where Chase took everything from the rest of the covenant.

The warmth inside of his chest fluttered again and Pogue held his hand against his heart and forced himself to move on. If he stayed there he knew he'd lose the rest of his self control and he needed the rest he had to find his way back home.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"Home sweet home." Tyler sighed as he unlocked the door to their room.

Reid grunted as he followed the younger boy inside, not wasting any time before walking over towards his bed and throwing himself down on it. He couldn't believe how great it felt to be back in their dorm room and out of the old dusty colony house.

Tyler shut the door behind him and fell upon his own bed, a deep sigh emitting from his mouth.

"Damn it's great to be back here."

"Uh-huh." Reid mumbled and curled up on his side.

His head was still spinning rapidly and his stomach felt like it was turning it's self inside out. Tyler shuffled around behind him and after a moment Reid felt the side of his bed dip as the younger boy sat down next to him.

"Still feeling sick?"

"Mmp." Reid grunted into his pillow.

The bed springs creaked as Tyler leaned over him, his warm fingers slowly massaging Reid's shoulder. "Gorman said you might be ill for a few more days. At least now you can get some decent rest."

"Yeah." Reid replied sleepily. "What the hell happened to me anyway?"

Tyler's hands stilled on his shoulder. "You don't remember?"

"No."

Tyler's fingers tightened once again into his shoulder. For a long time the younger boy didn't say a word and when he finally spoke, his voice was low and shaky.

"Chase is back..."

Reid stiffened and turned his head. Tyler's blue eyes were lowered and full of fear.

"Chase is still alive?"

Tyler nodded. "Yeah. He put a spell on you and you passed out for a few hours."

Reid gazed up at him for another moment before he laid his head back down on his pillow.

"That can't be. I thought Caleb killed him."

"I thought so too." Tyler sighed.

"Great, as if we didn't have enough shit going on and Caleb isn't even here to play the hero this time."

"I think Caleb's with him."

Reid whipped his head around. "What?"

Tyler bit his lower lip and remained quiet.

"Tyler, what'd you mean?"

The younger boy fidgeted nervously. "When you were out, Gorman said it was Caleb who was prowling around the house...then I heard him mention Chase's name later. Apparently both of them were there."

Reid stared at the darker haired boy for a long moment, letting his words sink in. He laid his head back down on his pillow and stared at the far wall. Tyler didn't say anything but kept digging his fingers into Reid's shoulder. After a short moment, the blond sighed and curled into the touch.

"Mmm, keep doing that."

For the first time in a few days Reid heard Tyler chuckle softly and the sound made his heart flutter.

"Okay." Tyler half-smiled. "Roll over."

Reid gave him a puzzled look before he slowly obliged and rolled over onto his stomach. He immediately felt Tyler's warm hands on his back, slowly rubbing the soreness out of his tired shoulders. The blond moaned deeply and felt his body slowly sink into the bedding under him. God Tyler had such good hands. It wasn't long before his eyelids started growing heavy and nestled his head against his pillow.

Tyler watched quietly as Reid slowly nodded off and soon the room was filed with the sounds of his soft breathing. The younger boy smiled and removed his hands, the tips of his fingers slowly losing their red glow as his eyes turned back to their normal blue color. Just as he predicted, Reid was out like a light. He gently slid off the edge of the bed and made his way towards his own.

He crawled on top of the heavy blankets and curled on his side, his exhaustion from the past three days finally catching up with him. His eyelids closed a quick moment later and soon the world faded away as the sweet darkness called to him.

--

Rain started pelting down on his shoulders, causing Pogue to turn his eyes towards the darkening sky with a frown.

(Perfect, bad enough that I've been freezing my ass off for the past hour.)

He groaned and the shoved his hands inside of his long coat. How long was this going to take, he'd been sitting in the same spot for hours? He gently rubbed the soreness out of his cramped legs and kept his eyes on the door in the far distance. He knew sooner or later the security guard would lock up the building for the night and he'd have his opportunity to slip inside the bank without setting the alarm off.

Pogue felt himself groan again and he blew into his hands to keep them warm. The door creaked in the distance and he immediately jerked his head up towards it.

(Finally.)

The security guard closed the door behind him and Pogue could hear it electronically lock behind. The guard then walked into the staff parking lot and disappeared from Pogue view. Something brushed against Pogue's mind and he stole a quick glance downwards at himself.

Just as he expected, he was Caleb once again.

A quick moment later he forced himself to keep his head clear. Chase wasn't aware of his presence yet and he wanted to keep it that way. Once the guard's car drove away down the street, Pogue rose to his feet and stretched his sore limbs before making his way towards the door. He used his powers to unlock the door and he cautiously pushed it open.

Like he expected, the bank was empty but he still kept his guard up. If he was going to do this right he couldn't afford to be seen. He closed the door as quietly as he could and disabled the security camera with a quick flash of his eyes. His eyes slowly roamed lover the vast room, looking for the entrance to the vault rooms. A quick moment later he found it and wasted no time heading towards it.

The many doors scattered along the hallway sprang open upon his command. None of them were what he was looking for. He waved his arm and the last handful of doors near the end of the hall slammed open. The one on his left looked promising and he stuck his head inside of the room. A grin came towards his face as the large wall of deposit boxes stared back at him.

(Here we are...)

He stepped into the room and started reading the numbers across the small silver deposit boxes. He growled, none of the damn boxes had names on them, only numbers!

Pogue chuckled mentally when he felt Chase's frustration touch his mind. After a long moment, Chase growled and violently waved his hand, sending the small boxes out of their holders and across the floor. Their contexts spilled all over the floor, money, Jewry, none of them were what he was looking for. He yelled and kicked the box near his foot.

"Damn it all! Where the hell is it?"

Pogue laughed again before he could stop himself. Chase paused, his powers reaching around him. Pogue felt it wash over him and braced himself but much to his surprise Chase didn't respond. His limitless power was still feeling the air around him and even though Pogue felt it touch him numerous times, Chase never found him.

Pogue was taken back. Every time he was linked with Caleb, Chase always found him. Why was this time different?

After a long moment, Chase kicked another box out of his way as he left, however, Pogue's presence still lingered inside of the room. His eyes were looking over the remaining boxes that were still in their holders. One of the boxes on his left grabbed his attention, his eyes firmly glued on the small black numbers printed on its edge.

_16487_

He repeated the numbers inside of his head. He knew those numbers, at least he felt like he did. He'd seen them before...somewhere. He didn't have long to dwell on it because he felt himself being pulled out of the room back towards his slumbering body.

--

Pogue's eyes slowly opened and the walls of his bedroom soon came into focus.

A thin sheen of sweat covered his bare shoulders and the side of his head was throbbing painfully. He sat up gingerly, brushing his sweaty bangs from his brow and waited for his headache to pass before he thought about his recent dream.

_16487_

What did those numbers mean? He'd seen them before but where?

His eyes wandered towards the alarm clock near his bed and he decided he might as well stay up. He only had an hour until he needed to get up for his class anyway. He untangled himself from the bedding and took a few steps towards the bathroom. He ran the tap and splashed some cold water on his face, trying to cool his overheated skin. He was in the middle of drying his face when he felt it, the left side of his chest swelled with a small flutter of warmth once more.

(Again...?)

Confused, he raised his hand and pressed it against the skin, it was hot but not enough to burn his skin and its source seamed to be coming from inside of his body. He held his hand against it for another moment and waited, seeing if he could locate where the strange warmth was coming from. It felt like it was coming from his heart. Just as quickly as it came, the warmth disappeared and Pogue slowly removed his hand.

(What the hell was that?)

The skin around his hart was pale and Pogue stared at it for a long time. This was the second time today he felt that weird sensation, where was it coming from? The first time he felt it was earlier in when he passed by the remains of Putnum barn. He never felt it before that time though, so where was it coming from?

Pogue sighed and rested against the sink. If he never felt it before today then that left only one possible reason where it came from...his night with Caleb.

(Is this punishment for what I did?)

A dark weight settled in the pit of Pogue's stomach and he forced the memories of that night away. He didn't need any more proof of how weak and useless he really was, Chase already showed him.

Anger started rising inside of him and shut the light off. Chase may have manipulated him like the pathetic puppet he was but there was absolutely no way in hell he was going to let him get off without paying for it.

He was going to kill Chase even if it meant he had to drag the bastard to the gates hell himself.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

(16487. Come on, where have I seen that before...?)

Pogue sighed loudly and pressed his palm against his throbbing forehead. He spent the entire morning combing through the layers of his mind, searching for those blasted numbers.

(One more try...)

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, summoning up every ounce of his powers and started pulling random bits of his memories forwards. For a long moment he searched through them, small images of his childhood before his parents died, the day he turned thirteen and first got his powers, a few painful memories of Caleb...his heart pounded against his chest painfully from the images and Pogue tried to force the guilt bubbling inside of his stomach away before it could stop him. He couldn't afford to wallow in his guilt at the moment.

After what Chase did - after what both of them did to Caleb - there was no way he was going to let that fucker win. Even though there was no possible way Pogue could ever redeem himself for what he did, he was going to make Chase pay.

He searched through more scattered fragments and finding nothing he gave up and withdrew his powers. Picking apart someone else's mind was difficult enough but his own mind, he was no where near strong enough to do that on his own. He groaned and rubbed the side of his head as another headache came on in full force. He knew he couldn't keep doing this, it was starting to take it's tole on him. His arm reached for the glass of water and bottle of Aspirin that were sitting on the table in front of him and he downed two pills.

He'd do this all morning if he had too.

When his headache subsided, he raised his hand back towards his forehead and tried again. His body protested once again but Pogue forced himself to ignore it. More images flashed through his mind as he pulled his memories forwards, more flashes of his teenage years, his lessons with Gorman, once again nothing useful.

(Come on; give me something I can use.)

Pogue grew frustrated and forced his powers deeper, digging up images from his early childhood. Pictures of his parents flashed behind his closed eyes, his father smiling and laughing as a three year old version of himself played with a small toy, his grandfather sitting in his study reading a story to a very small Pogue who sat on his lap.

The empath sighed mentally and was about to withdraw his powers once more when something inside of the last memory caught his eye. Resting on a corner of the old wooden desk that his grandfather kept in his study was a small sliver key. Summoning all reserves of his power, Pogue enhanced the image and examined the small sliver key with a sharp eye. Engraved near its head was a set of numbers and he had to squint hard to read them.

_27845_

(Damn.)

Pogue groaned angrily and let go of the memory. He was getting close, he could feel it. He cycled through more images of his childhood and the found another one to pull forward. This time he was sitting in a small play area, stacking some colored blocks while his parents sat in high backed leather chairs a few feet away from him. His father was in the middle of signing a long list of papers while his mother nervously squirmed in her seat and glanced over her shoulder every few minutes at her son. In her hands sat a small object attached to a thin gold chain.

When her husband finished his paperwork, Mrs. Parry nervously placed the small object into the deposit box sitting in front of her and Pogue got a good look at it. It was a gold pendent, roughly about the size of his palm. Small green gems were neatly fitted into its cover and as he stared down at it more memories flashed through Pogue's mind. He remembered finding a pendent like the one sitting in front of him that night he ventured into the Danvers's house, expect it's twin was fitted with bright red gems.

He tore his gaze away from the small gold item and read the numbers etched into the metal box.

_16487_

(There we are...)

Satisfied, Pogue lingered for another moment and watched as his father was handed a small silver key with the numbers carved into it before a man came and took the box away. He released the memory a moment later and waited for his living room to appear in front of his eyes.

Pogue flopped down on his back and waited for the room to stop spinning before recapping what he just saw. The small sliver key, he remembered seeing it many times, as a matter of a fact, he remembered holding it in his hands when...

Pogue's eyes snapped open and immediately rolled off his couch and dashed down the hall into his bedroom. Ignoring his weariness, he started pawing through the many boxes scattered along his closet floor, opening their lids and carefully scanning their contents. Eventually, his hand reached the small grey shoe-box tucked away in the far corner and his movements halted. Even though he knew that was the one he was looking for, it was a long time before he could bring himself to touch it.

The contents of that small box were all he had left of his parents. For two years it sat quietly on the floor of his closet, hidden from his view. He stared at it for a long moment before pulling it forwards and sliding the cover off. Small particles of dust shot into the air as the box was uncovered and Pogue blew into the box a few times before he started shifting through the small tokens. Many pictures of his parents were scattered around along with a few small items his father had collected. He shook the box a few times and sure enough, he heard a small jingle sound.

He pushed a dusty photo of his mother and father embracing back, revealing a small, shiny object underneath. It was the same sliver key he saw in his vision. He reached for it and turned the key over so he could read the numbers inscribed on its back.

_16487_

A relieved sigh eased from his lip and his eyes were directed back down towards the box when another flash of light caught his attention. There was another one...

_27845_

A cold numbness settled inside of Pogue's chest. That one belonged to his grandfather, he remembered seeing it inside of his grandfather's study. It was the only thing he had left of his grandfather as well. He gathered up both keys in his hand and read the address carved into their blade.

_Ipswich City Bank. _

He re-read the address once more before tucking the keys inside his front pocket. He needed to go to that bank before Chase had a chance to return and collect what he was looking for. But how, his bike was still, hopefully, sitting in front of the Danvers's house and it was too far away for him to walk?

He weighed his options and groaned; all that was left was Tyler. Pogue sighed and ran his hands through his hair and directed his gaze upwards towards his school blazer; looks like he'd have to attend Spencer sometime today in order to hitch a ride from the younger boy.

--

"Mr. Parry, welcome back."

Pogue had just enough energy to glare at his History teacher as he tossed his late slip on the desk. He could've sworn there was disappointment written on his teacher's face. Making sure his eyes were burning with fire, Pogue continued glaring at him as he made his way towards the sections. Tyler was looking down at him with a surprised look and Pogue returned his gaze with a small nod as he neared his seat.

"Hey." Tyler smiled warmly at him.

"Hey." Pogue replied.

As he sat down he noticed the spot on Tyler's right that was normally occupied by Reid was empty.

"Where's Reid?"

"Still in our room, he wasn't feeling that well so I didn't wake him up."

Pogue blinked; something was wrong with Reid? Before he could ask another question, their teacher started scratching words onto the blackboard. Pogue unzipped his bag and was in the middle of pulling out his textbook when he noticed something. His head felt clear and he wasn't being overwhelmed with the sudden assault of teenage emotions like normal. As a matter of a fact, it felt like a gentle silence had settled inside of his mind.

He only had a small moment to enjoy his peace before the instructor resumed his teaching and he forced himself to try to pay attention. He scribbled down the text his teacher had earlier written on the chalk-bored (some more random junk about that damn pagan ritual they were still studying) and focused his concentration on the moving lips of his History teacher.

Despite his valiant effort, he gave up a few short moments later and set his pencil down. He stole a glance over in Tyler's direction and saw that the younger boy looked just as bored as he felt. Seeing his opportunity, Pogue slid closer towards him.

"Ty, can you give me a ride later?"

The darker haired boy turned his head towards him. "I guess, where?"

"The bank." Pogue replied, trying hard to make it sound like nothing.

"Okay." Tyler nodded and went back to his notes.

Pogue nodded back and resumed his far off gaze. The teacher's voice drifted in and out of his head a few times but other then that his mental sanctuary was quiet for the first time since he turned eighteen. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up so Pogue quietly enjoyed his newfound moment of peace.

--

"Why are we here again?"

"Because I need to withdraw something." Pogue replied and unbuckled his seat belt.

He slid out of the Hummer's passenger side door and waited for Tyler on the curb. The younger boy joined him a moment later and walked with him towards the heavy oak doors that led into the bank's lobby.

When they pasted through the double doors both boys halted. The lobby was in shambles. Desks where turned over, computers were shattered and the hallway leading towards the back rooms was blocked off by police tape.

"What the hell happened here?" Tyler gasped, his eyes jumping back and forth across the destroyed lobby.

Pogue said nothing. He had a pretty good idea what happened, the whole room just screamed Chase's handiwork.

"Can I help you gentlemen?"

Pogue directed his attention towards the sound of the voice and found a middle aged man standing a few feet away from him.

"Yeah, I'm here to make a withdraw...if my vault is still intact that is." Pogue said as he dug out the small key his parents had and handed it to the man.

The bank employee studied the key closely before waving his hand towards the far corner where the only intact desk sat.

"Come with me and I'll check."

Pogue and Tyler exchanged looks before following him. The employee tipped the numbers into the working computer and stared at the screen blankly.

"Vault number 16487, registered under the late Richard Parry, correct?"

"Yes." Pogue nodded as he nervously shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.

"I'll be right back." The man replied and headed off towards the blocked off hallway.

Pogue watched him go and leaned back against the desk.

"So what do you need to take out?" Tyler asked, his eyes still wandering around the destroyed room.

"Something of my father's." Pogue said back, still trying to keep the younger boy out of the loop.

Honestly, the less Tyler knew about this the better. It was bad enough he had to drag the younger boy into this because he needed a ride. He made a mental note to ask Tyler to drop him off at the Danvers house afterwards so he could fetch his bike afterwards.

After another moment, the employee's footsteps where heard coming across the hall.

"I'm sorry, sir but that vault is currently empty."

"What?" Pogue stared at the man confused. "Was anything in there?"

(Did Chase actually find it?)

The man walked back towards the computer and looked at the screen again. "Well, our records indicate that it's been empty for some time now."

Pogue lowered his head and stared down at the ground. His fingers nervously fingered the second key in his pocket.

"How long has it been empty?"

The man leaned back over the computer and typed a few more things in.

"About four years. Its contents were transferred to another deposit box registered under a Gavin Parry. Another relative of yours?"

"My grandfather." Pogue confirmed. "Can I access that one?"

"Do you have the key?"

Pogue paused for a moment and slowly pulled the second key out of his pocket and handed it to the man.

"Is this it?"

The employee took it and typed its number in.

"As a matter of fact it is. I'll be right back."

Once again the man left them alone and wandered off towards the back rooms. Tyler gave Pogue a sympathetic look that was completely ignored. Pogue's gaze was once again on the floor and he didn't look up until the man returned a minute later, carrying a large, silver box in his arms.

"Here it is, vault number 27845." He recited as he unlocked its cover and set it upon the desk.

Pogue hesitantly approached the box and looked down, inside of its metal walls sat the small gold pendent he saw in his memories, green gems and all. He reached his hand inside and pulled it out, its gold surface perfectly catching the light in the room.

"Is this all?" Pogue asked.

"Yes sir." The man replied. "Will you be taking it with you?"

Pogue nodded and gently tucked the pendent into his jacket pocket.

"I'm taking it. It'll be safer with me." Pogue mumbled, not really caring that they heard him.

"Okay then. Here's your key." The man handed Pogue his set of his keys and walked away with the now empty box.

Pogue watched him go and then turned his gaze back towards Tyler.

"Think you can take me one more place?"

Tyler stared at him silently and nodded.

"Where to?"

"I need to get my bike back."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Endless green and old grey buildings passed by Pogue's window but he paid them no mind. His eyes were staring down at the small gold item cradled in his hand.

(What's so important about this damn thing?)

Pogue gently ran this thumb across the pendant's surface, its rich cover giving off a bright golden sheen against the sleeve of his jacket, and stared down at it with a wary eye. This small little thing is all that Chase wanted? This damn thing was the reason for his best friend's suffering? Even though his eyes where mesmerized by the small trinket, deep inside of his mind, all of his instincts were screaming warnings at him; there was definitely more to this thing then its looks. Plus, god only knows how many of them there are if he found another one inside of Caleb's house.

Tyler glanced over at him from the driver's seat. "What is that thing anyway?"

"Don't know." Pogue shrugged.

Tyler gave him a confused look before turning his attention back towards the road.

"If you don't know what it is then why did we just go through the trouble of getting it in the first place?"

Pogue didn't answer, his eyes were still boring down at the small round object in his hand.

"Pogue?"

"I can't explain it Tyler." The older boy sighed. "You wouldn't believe me even if I tried."

"Why do I even bother?" Tyler snorted annoyed. "It's always secrets with you. You're just as bad as Caleb was."

Pogue flinched but didn't turn his head. The tone Tyler used was more then enough to make him jerk but the mention of Caleb's name was more then he could take at the moment. His emotions were already running a mile a second from his discovery of the pendent in his hand and in his weakened mental state it wasn't long before images of his dark night with Caleb started forming in the back of his mind.

His fingers tightened around the pendent as he forced those memories back into the darkness where they belonged before they could do any damage. If he was going to figure out what the hell Chase was doing he didn't have time to drown in his misery.

He wasn't going to let Caleb suffer because of his weakness.

Tyler's anger touched Pogue's mind sharply and he waited for the younger boy to calm down a bit before he spoke.

"I know Tyler." Pogue sighed, still keeping his eyes on the item incased in his hand.

The waves thinned around the younger boy and Tyler turned his head. His blue eyes were calm but anger was still pouring off of him.

"Then what the hell is going on? What is that thing?"

"Like I said, I don't know what it is." Pogue replied grimly. "When I was at Caleb's I found something just like this and then Chase took it."

Tyler's shoulders stiffened. "So Chase is alive then?"

"Yeah, the bastard is still alive."

Pogue felt Tyler's fear brush against his mind and a lump formed inside his throat. This was the main reason why he kept quiet around the two other covenant members. He was oldest out of the three of them and that meant he was their protector. He owed it to Caleb at least. It was up to him to keep Reid and Tyler safe and he'd never forgive himself if anything happened to the two of them.

"What about Caleb?"

Once again, Pogue was caught off guard by the mention of Caleb's name. He was silent for a few minutes before a pained sigh eased from his throat.

"He's alive."

Tyler looked like he was going to press for more details but luckily, a bright yellow blip grabbed his attention.

"Looks like your bike's still there."

"Thank god. I can't afford anymore repairs on it."

Tyler parked the Hummer near the bright yellow Ducati and Pogue slid out of the passenger's side. He ran his hand over the handle bars and closely inspected his bike. Despite some dirt and mud wedged in-between the groves of its tires, his Ducati was in near perfect condition. He dug his keys out of his pockets and happily turned the ignition on, giving the throttle a few twists. It was working perfectly.

(Finally some good luck.)

Tyler appeared at his shoulder a short time later. "Is it alright?"

"Seams to be working just fine." Pogue replied and sat down in the rider's seat. "Thanks for the ride."

Tyler nodded and crossed his arms. "Look, we need to talk about all of this, the three of us."

Pogue nearly flinched from Tyler's hard stare and slowly nodded.

"I know. I'll swing by your dorm tomorrow."

Tyler still stared coldly at him but he agreed.

"Tomorrow then."

--

With a tired sigh, Tyler turned his key and pushed the door to his dorm room open. He was exhausted, driving Pogue around all day was starting to take it's tole on his already run down body.

The light coming from the lamp near his bed quickly grabbed his attention and Tyler's eyes moved towards the direction of Reid's bed. Sure enough, the blond was fully awake and sitting on the bed's edge. Reid raised his head and greeted Tyler with a slight smile, which the younger boy returned as he tossed his keys on the desk near the door and shrugged out of his coat.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"I'm alright." Reid shrugged, his eyes slowly moving downwards towards the floor.

Tyler sat on the edge of the bed next to him. "You look much better."

"I feel better." Reid replied, finally turning his head and looking at the younger boy. "A lot better actually. Damn thing finally wore off."

"I'm glad. Even though blue and veiny was a good look for you." Tyler chuckled softly.

Reid frowned and shoved Tyler playfully. "Well, you can be the one that gets bit next time and see how you like it."

"I'm kidding. I was worried about you, you know."

Reid froze for a moment. He faintly remembered feeling Tyler's presence around him, when he was suffering from Chase's spell and also afterwards when Tyler brought him back here. The younger boy hardly left his side since then.

"I know Tyler." Reid said softly and turned his head towards the younger boy. "It seams like you're always taking care of me."

A slight redness came to Tyler's cheeks and the younger boy cleared his throat nervously.

"Well someone has too since you're so helpless all the time."

Once again, Reid chuckled at Tyler's comment.

"My hero."

Tyler also chuckled. "Yeah well, you've pulled me out of enough ruff patches when we were little so I don't mind."

Reid smiled sadly but didn't say anything. Tyler always seamed to have that effect on him. He always enjoyed being around the younger boy but lately whenever he was around Tyler all Reid felt was a strange clawing sensation inside of his stomach.

"What?"

Reid blinked, realizing he'd been staring at Tyler for the past few moments and turned his head.

"Nothing."

As usual, Tyler didn't buy it. "Reid what's wrong?"

"I said nothing." Reid snapped and lowered his head.

Tyler flinched and immediately Reid felt his stomach lurch painfully. He didn't mean to snap like that but he wasn't about to tell Tyler what was really bothering him either.

Tyler nervously cleared his throat. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

At that, Reid groaned and dropped his head. Tyler really wasn't making things easy.

"I'm sorry Ty."

The younger boy nervously shifted. "Any reason why you've been biting my head off lately?"

It was Reid's turn to shift nervously and clear his throat.

"Reid." Tyler crossed his arms and waited.

The blond stayed silent and twisted his fingers nervously.

"Reid, come on. We've always been able to talk about things." Tyler said as he scooted closer.

(Not about this.)

It took all of Reid's strength to keep perfectly still as the younger boy moved closer towards him. Tyler was now in his arm reach, hardly a foot away from him. He could feel Tyler's warmth against his arm and before he knew it, he found himself scooting closer towards the other boy and moving his arm around him.

"Reid–" Tyler begin, startled.

Reid didn't say anything; he just leaned forwards and lightly pressed his lips against Tyler's mouth.

--

_Pogue._

Pogue's eyes fluttered slightly under their closed lids but didn't open as a small voice gently reached his ear.

_Pogue, wake up._

The voice grew louder but Pogue continued ignoring it. The voice hesitated for a moment and then jabbed at his mind forcefully.

_Pogue Gavin Parry, get your ass up this instant!_

Pogue yelped from the painful assault against his mind and quickly opened his eyes. His bedroom was covered in darkness with a thin sheen of moonlight coming from the window. As his eyes moved across the confides of the room, Pogue quickly noticed he wasn't alone; standing a few short feet away from his bed was the lone male figure. The empath immediately shot up out of bed and turned his eyes black. Just as he was preparing to defend himself, he felt the stranger's powers touch his mind.

_Relax boy, I'm not here to harm you._

Pogue let his eyes turn back to their normal color but he still kept himself alert as he watched the man step closer towards him. The moonlight shone on his face as he sat down the bed's edge and Pogue's breath hitched.

"Caleb?"

The man said nothing. Pogue's eyes continued roaming over the strangers form, it wasn't Caleb, it looked just like his friend but too many things were off. The shoulders where broader, the eyes were different and the hair was longer, but still, this man could've been Caleb's twin.

(Not a twin though... something else.)

Pogue kept staring at him; he remembered seeing that face many times before when he was younger.

"William." Pogue spoke calmly as he stared at the man sitting a few feet away from him. "William Danvers."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Silence rang inside of Pogue's ears as he stared at the man sitting on the edge of his bed. William was here, Caleb's father was sitting less then a foot away from him and Pogue still couldn't believe it.

The last time he saw this man was when he was fifteen, before William disappeared. He vividly remembered how much the elder's disappearance hurt him–William was the only father he had left in the world at the time– but his pain was noting compared to Caleb and Evelyn's and now William was here, and his appearance hadn't changed one bit since the day he disappeared. His clothing was even the same!

For a while neither one of them spoke, their silence started stretching into long minutes. William sat perfectly still, his sharp eyes boring into Pogue and the empath squirmed mentally from the intensity of his look. The silence grew to an unbearable level and Pogue honestly thought he'd go insane unless he heard some noise soon.

"William..." Pogue started, hesitantly.

The older man's eyes where still cutting into him and after a long period of silence, William finally spoke.

"Pogue."

A shiver went down Pogue's spine. Even his voice sounded like Caleb's, the only difference was Caleb's voice was softer while William's had more bite to it.

"Well, you've certainly grown a lot in three years. I almost didn't recognize you." William's voice rumbled through Pogue's entire body and his mind.

"William, what–"

"Am I doing here? Simple." William finished, sharply. "I'm here to see you."

"Me? Why?" Pogue asked, swallowing around the lump that was slowly forming inside of his throat from the way that William's dark eyes were staring at him.

"Because you and I need to have a little chat and I finally have the opportunity to do so."

Pogue squirmed again. William's strong presence was brushing across his mind as he spoke, slowly touching and prodding at his memories. It felt also felt like William's voice was coming from two different places: from the man sitting in front of him and from the depths of the empath's head.

Pogue drew his knees up to his chest and stared at the elder Danvers confused. "About what?"

William hesitated for a moment, before he heaved a long sigh and spoke.

"About my son."

Even though he expected it, Pogue flinched from William's answer. Of course, why else would William be here?

"You know about Chase then?" Pogue asked.

"Yes, I do." William replied sadly.

A small string of emotions touched Pogue then, sorrow, helplessness and anger; the later being the strongest. He studied them for a moment, letting his mind feel how powerful they were, before speaking again.

"And you know what Chase has been doing to him?"

Once again, William nodded sadly. "As a matter of a fact, I know first hand what that ungrateful brat has been doing to my son."

"If you know, then why aren't you doing anything about it?" Pogue growled, his anger rising.

The elder Danvers wasn't at all disturbed by his outburst.

"Why aren't you?"

William's answer caught him off guard and Pogue felt his temper snap.

"I've been trying to dammit." Pogue growled, glaring at William. "What's your excuse, you're stronger then Chase is."

William was silent fore a moment and hung his head. "Unfortunately you're wrong."

Pogue stared coldly at him. From the way William was hanging his head, it was obvious that he was hiding something.

"What do you mean?"

William heaved a deep sigh and raised his head. "I don't have my powers anymore. I willed them to Caleb four months ago."

Pogue mulled over William's words for a moment. "You willed – What do you mean? I thought you died three years ago?"

"Not physically but close enough to it."

Pogue grew angry and growled inside of his throat. Why did every single covenant elder speak to him in riddles?

"Not physically, what the hell does that mean?"

"It means boy, that I over-used my powers to the point where it almost killed me." William snapped, growing slightly irritated from Pogue's interruptions. "But somehow, Gorman and Caleb managed to keep me alive at the colony house. On the night when my son fought Chase at Putnum barn, Evelyn bagged for me to will Caleb my powers, so I did."

Pogue listened quietly, his mind reeling from William's words. He replayed the elder Danvers's statement inside of his head and a thought quickly dawned on him.

(Wait, if he willed Caleb his power, then how come he still alive?)

"Who said I was?" William whispered softly.

"What?" Pogue's breath hitched as he startled and scooted away from the elder Danvers.

William just read his mind!

William watched him for a moment, his brown eyes darkening slightly before he sighed and scooted closer to the boy. He gently raised his right hand and violently swung at Pogue's face. Pogue had just enough time to brace himself for the impact but none came; William's hand simply passed through his skin ghostly, his fingers felt like air as they touched Pogue's flesh.

"What the hell– what the fuck are you!" Pogue yelled, his eyes flashing and turning black, ready to defend himself against this stranger.

William just heaved a frustrated sigh and used his powers to touch Pogue's mind.

_At the moment, I'm literary a figment of Caleb's imagination. _

"What?"

William groaned and remained silent for a long time; Pogue had a feeling that the elder was trying to think of an easier way to explain things. Finally William cleared his throat and decided to vocalize his words instead of speaking into Pogue's mind.

"When I willed my powers to Caleb, a small part of my soul went with them and attached it's self to Caleb. Unfortunately, it left Caleb defenseless and that boy took advantage of it, also attaching himself to my son. Since then, Chase has discovered my existence and tried to remove it so he could have full control over Caleb. At the moment, I'm the only thing that's keeping him from fully ripping Caleb's mind to shreds."

Slowly, Pogue begin to piece William's words together. He could picture William's presence living inside of Caleb's mind, shielding him from Chase. It easily explained why it was so difficult for him to tap into Caleb's mind that day he fought him, or that night when...

Pogue mentally shook his head to clear those images away and continued thinking over William's words. He remembered seeing Chase take over Caleb's body and hearing William's voice when he taped into the other boy's memories. As a matter of a fact, he remembered hearing William's voice inside his own mind once before.

"That dream I had where I was talking to a light...that was you, wasn't it?"

William nodded. "Yes, I've tried to contact you many times before and after that but it grew too difficult so I resulted to a different method."

"Like pulling me inside of Caleb's body and seeing through his eyes." Pogue finished for him.

"Exactly, since you're an empath it was easy enough to do. The hard part was trying to keep Chase from noticing you, as you could tell, and every time my powers fell short and I was barely left with enough strength to guard Caleb."

The feeling of complete helplessness brushed against Pogue's mind as William lowered his head. Pogue remained silent and tightened his grip around his knees. He could vividly recall every time he was pulled out of his body and into Caleb's. His skin crawled from just the memory of it, the feeling of having no control of over himself or his body while a stranger propelled you forward like a puppet sent a painful shiver down his spine.

"How come you're here then?" Pogue voiced, his eyes taking in William's form. "If it's that hard for you to contact me then why are you here?"

William raised his head and narrowed his eyes. "Oh it's not difficult anymore, _you_ saw to that."

"What do you mean?" Pogue hesitantly asked, cringing from the bitter tone William used.

Once again, William's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Because of the fact that _you_ and my_ son_ have been intimate it's not that difficult for me to locate you."

Pogue's breath died inside of his lungs even before William finished his sentence. Oh god, William knew! He knew what happened between him and Caleb. He could feel the rage and anger poring off of Caleb's father in thick waves.

(Thank god he can't physically touch me at the moment; otherwise he'd probably throttle me.)

He scolded himself, remembering that William could read his mind and forced himself to keep his mind blank. It wasn't a good idea to anger William further. Even though William's body was perfectly still and calm, his eyes were full of rage and anger.

"William, I didn't know that wasn't Caleb, I swear–"

"Save it. The fact that you feel more then your share of guilt for it is the only reason I haven't ripped you apart yet." William stated coldly. "And the fact that you're the only one that can help him."

Pogue carefully listened to the older man's words before he dared himself to speak.

"How can I help him? I'm no match for Chase, he's already proven that." Pogue grumbled bitterly.

"Save your excuses boy, we both know I don't have time for them."

"It's not an excuse; he damn near killed me the last time we fought."

"And you'll let him do the same to Caleb? You'll just sit there and let Chase rip Caleb's mind to shreds while he slowly destroys his body?"

Pogue glared at him but remained silent. What could he do, Chase was three times stronger then him? He'd be lucky if he lasted a minute the next time they clashed.

"I don't know what you want from me William, but I can't fight him. What chance would I have, he'd slaughter me in a heartbeat."

William's eyes flared angrily in their brown depths as he slid off the edge of Pogue's bed.

"Then you don't deserve my son..." He whispered angrily as he headed towards the open doorway.

Pogue watched William's retreating back silently until a painful question formed inside of his mind.

"Wait..."

William halted in the doorway and slowly turned around to face him, his dark amber eyes gleaming dangerously in the darkness.

"That night when I...was Caleb the one in control?"

Even though he already knew the answer, Pogue had to make sure.

"No he wasn't. Afterwards he regained control when Chase was weakened but that was the only time."

Pogue's chest tightened painfully but he forced himself to ask the next dire question.

"Was Caleb aware of what was happening?"

William slowly shook his head. "No, thankfully I had enough strength to block it from his memory, including afterwards when he begged for you to kill him."

Even though his heart felt like it was in an icy grip, Pogue couldn't help feeling grateful that Caleb didn't remember that night.

"Anymore questions?" William asked, looking impatient.

Pogue shook his head quietly.

"Then we are finished." William said coldly. "Should the need arise, I will contact you again... hopefully in my absence you'll find the time to grow up and take responsibility for what you've done to my son."

With that, William's figure wavered and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Pogue alone. He sighed and rested his forehead against his knee.

(What am I gonna do now?)

--

Tyler grunted as a pair of warm, foreign lips forcibly pressed themselves against his. His first reaction was to push the body they were attached to away from him but Reid's strong arms came around him a quick moment later, gently holding him to the spot. Even if he could force himself to move, he doubted he could even break Reid's grip around his shoulders.

Reid was crushing him against his slightly larger frame while his tongue lightly probed at Tyler's bottom lip. Not knowing what else to do, the younger boy slowly opened his mouth and Reid took full advantage of it, sliding his slick tongue into Tyler's warm mouth. The younger boy shuttered against him from the feeling and Reid couldn't help his slight grin, knowing that more then likely this was Tyler's first kiss. He removed his mouth a short moment later and pulled back, gazing directly into Tyler's baby blue eyes.

The younger boy looked like he was in shock, his eyes blinking rapidly and his mouth twisting and trying to form words.

"Reid. what–"

Reid's eyes where glued on Tyler's face, watching as the younger boy's cheeks flushed a slight pink color and his eyes turned foggy. God Tyler looked beautiful and Reid felt his stomach turn nervously.

"I'm sorry Tyler." He sighed quietly. "I didn't mean to do that but–"

"Why'd you do it then?"

Reid flinched, Tyler sounded angry.

"Because...ah hell, I don't know why."

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "You don't know why you kissed me?"

"I do, but I don't know how to explain it." Reid admitted sheepishly.

Tyler stared at him even more confused.

"Reid, you just fucking kissed me and I want to fucking know why."

"Because Tyler." Reid swallowed and forced himself to be brave. "You're...I'm...god, why is this so damn hard? I've wanted to for a while I guess."

"You guess?"

Reid sighed and slid closer, ignoring Tyler's signs of discomfort. Slowly he reached for him and much to his surprise, Tyler didn't move away. He didn't do anything actually, not even when Reid's hand gently touched his thigh.

"Ty–"

Tyler shivered from the contact but didn't say anything. The warmth from Reid's hand was slowly crawling up his leg and god help him, it felt good. His hand itched to grab Reid's and bring it up closer but he ignored the feeling. Reid shouldn't be making him feel this way, it was wrong. The blond was his best friend, his brother, this was wrong!

Then why the hell was he leaning into the touch then?

Reid smiled and inched closer, until the two of them were shoulder to shoulder. Tyler fidgeted nervously as Reid slowly slid his arm around the younger boy's back. A moment later Tyler shrugged it off and slid off the bed.

"Reid, stop it." The younger boy paced nervously between the beds. "What are you– we can't do this."

Even though Reid's chest tightened from the pain of Tyler's rejection, he forced himself to speak.

"Why not?"

"Because, it isn't right."

"What's not right about it? The kiss or the fact that it came from me?"

Tyler stopped pacing. "Both alright. You're like a brother to me and we're not supposed to feel that way."

Reid resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He knew Tyler was lying.

"So you can honestly say you don't feel the same way about me then?"

As he expected Tyler didn't answer right away.

"Reid, I don't know okay. I love you like a brother but–"

Tyler cut off; even he could tell his lie was wearing thin. Truth be told, he did feel more for Reid then "brotherly" but he didn't know if he should voice it.

"Tyler, sit down." Reid said softly and patted the spot next to him.

Hesitantly Tyler did so, making sure he kept a reasonable distance between them. Reid stayed where he was, eyeing Tyler softly.

"Look Ty, we both know there's been something between us for a while." Reid started, hoping Tyler would finish for him.

Tyler just nodded slightly and didn't say anything.

"If that kiss really didn't mean anything to you then just say so and we'll forget it ever happened." Reid said, turning towards the younger boy.

Tyler was silent for a few moments before he mumbled his reply. "I don't wanna forget it."

Reid's heart fluttered slightly. "You don't?"

"No. It was my first kiss..." Tyler said softly. "And the more I think about it...I don't think I wanted it to be with anyone else."

Now Reid's heart felt like it was going to burst through his chest at any moment.

"Aw Ty, you're such a romantic." He chuckled and once again, tried his luck at scooting closer to the other boy.

Tyler didn't move, a sign that Reid found discouraging at first but then realized that the younger boy was nervous, so Reid just took it upon himself to move even closer. He watched Tyler for a long moment, looking for an indication that Tyler was uncomfortable and when he found none, he leaned closer and kissed the younger boy once again.

Tyler didn't push away, he just remained where he was and after a long moment he hesitantly brought his arms around Reid's broad shoulders.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Soft, nimble fingers gently caressed the back of his neck and Reid moaned softly. His eyes lazily fluttered open a moment later and he was met with the sight of Tyler's baby-blues looking up at him.

"Morning." The younger boy smiled as he slid closer and curled himself around Reid's arm.

Reid blinked, feeling confused until memories of the previous night came back to him and he felt himself smile. He finally kissed Tyler and what was better; the younger boy kissed him back, sending the two of them into a long make-out session that lasted for most of the night. Their touches soon went from shy and gentle to rough and passionate while their kisses became more demanding until both boys eventually fell asleep together on Reid's bed in a tangled heap of limbs.

"Mornin'." He sleepily mumbled and leaned forwards to plant a kiss on Tyler's forehead.

The younger boy smiled up at him and Reid felt his heart give a small flutter inside of his chest. Tyler always seamed to have that effect on him.

"You sleep okay?"

"Next to you, who wouldn't?" Reid grinned as gazed downwards into Tyler's baby-blues once again.

Tyler gave him an annoyed look but leaned upwards towards Reid's face and brought their lips together for a kiss. The blonde groaned softly and pulled Tyler closer, disparity wanting to feel the other boy's warmth. Tyler complied, and soon the two boys eventually found themselves resuming their previous activities until Tyler suddenly gasped and forcibly pushed Reid away.

"What?"

Tyler shot up and backed against the headboard, his eyes widening. Reid followed his gaze and also felt himself grow stiff. On the fair side of their room stood a figure covered in shadows, but from what little light resided in the room Reid could make out slimy pale skin and murky clothing; a Darkling.

Tyler whimpered next to him and suddenly feeling protective, Reid moved in front of the younger boy and turned his eyes black. If that damn thing was here to cause them harm it was in for one hell of a fight. However, just as Reid drew his shoulders upright, the darkling raised its arm, the long, slimy fingers pointing at the two of them and just as quickly as it came, the darkling wavered and disappeared.

Reid's eyes were still locked on the far corner of the room and stayed black for a long time before they slowly turned back to their normal color. He glanced over his shoulder at Tyler and saw the younger boy was still staring at the same spot with a frightened expression.

He reached over and lightly placed his arm on Tyler's trembling shoulder. When the younger boy hesitantly turned his eyes and looked at him, Reid drew him closer and wrapped his arms around him protectively.

--

Pogue groaned sleepily as he heard his cell-phone ring and slowly opened his eyes. His bedroom was still dark and after glancing over at his alarm clock he saw why; seven-thirty.

He ignored his phone's annoying ringing and closed his eyes once again. Just as he felt himself nod off again another ringing sound soon filled his ears, this time coming from his house phone. Fully annoyed from his lack of sleep he rolled over and blindly reached for the receiver perched on his night stand.

"What?" He croaked groggily into the receiver.

"Pogue, its Reid. You need to get over here now."

Pogue yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Can it wait for a few hours?"

"NO!" Reid screamed into the phone, forcing Pogue to hold the receiver a few feet away from his ear. "Get over here NOW!"

With that, Reid hung up and Pogue stared at the phone in his hand confused.

(What the hell?)

He sleepily shook his head and pulled himself upright. He was exhausted beyond belief from his encounter with William during the night and just when he was finally able to get himself to sleep this happens.

He rolled out of his bed and dressed groggily. He slid his arms into the sleeves of a t-shirt and was about to pull it over his head when once again, the strange warmth fluttered inside of his chest.

(Again?)

Pogue forced himself to ignore the feeling and pulled the cloth over his head. His shoes where pulled on a moment later and as he neared the doorway, the warmth inside his chest grew stronger, forcing him to a halt. The left side of his chest swelled painfully, almost causing him to double over in pain. He leaned against the wall for support and waited for it to subside.

(God, what the hell is this thing?)

His eyes started watering and after whimpering in pain, Pogue raised his hand towards his chest. The skin underneath his palm was burning! It felt like it would tear his skin open at any moment. The sensation vanished a minute later, leaving him gasping and wheezing inside the doorway. He cursed angrily and slammed his fist into the wall. This was the third time he felt that weird feeling but this was the only time it was ever painful.

When he got his wind back, Pogue stumbled into his living room and grabbed his keys. His eyes caught a glimpse at something shiny on his coffee table and he stared coldly at the gold pendent lying in the same spot he left it during the previous day.

After a moment, he crossed the room and tucked the pendent into the desk by the door. For some reason he felt like he shouldn't leave it on the table. Besides, if Chase was looking for it, he couldn't afford to leave it lying around in the open like that.

He locked the front door behind him and headed towards the complex's garages in search of his bike.

--

"You saw a darkling?" Pogue couldn't help voicing his confusion. "Seriously?"

"Earlier this morning." Tyler confirmed shakily.

Pogue fell silent as he gazed at the frightened boy. Tyler's arms where shaking as they rested on his leg. The younger covenant member was currently perched on the side of his bed, his eyes occasionally moving towards the far corner of the room. Reid sat a few feet away from him, his face creased in a slight frown.

"Are you sure it was a darkling?" Pogue asked as he brought his hand up towards his face and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Duh, what the hell else could it have been?" Reid grumbled tiredly.

Pogue took a deep breath and held it in. Tyler's fear was attacking his mind rapidly, hindering his ability to think straight.

"Did it attack you two?"

"No." Tyler shook his head. "It just pointed at us and disappeared."

Pogue hummed slightly and bit his lip. He didn't bother asking for any details on what form it took, he already had a pretty good guess. This event just screamed Chase's handy work but what he couldn't figure was why.

"Pogue what's going on?" The youngest boy asked in a quivering voice.

"I don't know Tyler."

"Bullshit!" Reid snapped at him. "We know you've been hiding something from us, you and Gorman. So start talking because I'm tired of being out of the fucking loop."

Pogue blinked and stared at the blond with a wary eye. Even though he felt a little irradiated from the outburst, he could easily understand Reid's frustration. The question was did he want to involve the other two boys in this? The more he thought about it, the more he realized he didn't have much of a choice. He bit the inside of his lip and heaved a long sigh.

"Where do you want me to start?"

Reid gave him an annoyed look. "Anywhere."

Pogue chewed on his lower lip as he mentally put the events of the past few weeks in order and after clearing his throat, he begin to voice his trail of thoughts. Time seamed to slow to a crawl as he talked, the minutes feeling like years. Neither Reid nor Tyler said anything during his speech, both boys where too lost in their own thoughts to speak. Eventually Pogue reached the part of his story where Chase appeared at the colony house– he made sure to leave out the part the part between himself and Caleb– and finished his story after he retrieved the pendent from the bank, leaving his conversation with William out as well.

"So that's what that thing was." Tyler said softly.

"Yeah, I don't know what it does or why that fucker wants it but I'll be damned if I let him have it."

Reid frowned and shuffled nervously on the bed. "So wait, Chase is still alive?"

"More or less."

The blond groaned and leaned back against the wall.

"Fuck man. This shit's messed up."

"God, Caleb..." Tyler lowered his head as his blue eyes started watering.

Reid scooted closer towards him and placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. Tyler leaned into the touch and slowly moved closer. Pogue sighed and lowered his head; he still couldn't believe Chase sent a darkling after Reid and Tyler. Luck for them, it was just a messenger and didn't cause them any physical harm but still, the meaning was clear; Chase was angry.

(He probably knows I have the pendent, that's why he's pissed. But still, why did he go after Reid and Tyler?)

A small string of emotions touched Pogue's mind then. They weren't very powerful, as a matter of a fact, they were weak and felt like they'd fade away in a moment but there was no mistaking what they were. Fear, anxiety, comfort and – he honestly couldn't believe it– lust. Raising an eyebrow, he shifted his eyes between the two younger boys. Yep, from the way Tyler was curling under Reid's hand and the shy glances they exchanged, something was going on between them.

"Um, you want me to give you two a moment alone?"

Both boys jerked their heads up and looked at him confused.

"W-what?" Tyler stuttered, a faint blush staining his cheeks.

Pogue's lower lip twisted into a grin and Reid growled when he picked up the meaning.

"You and your damn empathic abilities."

Pogue snorted and rolled his eyes. "Nothing empathic about it, you two are easy."

Tyler, if possible, looked even more embarrassed. "Pogue, it's not what you think–"

"Save it kiddo, you two are old enough to do whatever the hell you want." Pogue smirked back and then sighed. "I guess I owe Caleb twenty bucks then."

"What?" Both boys asked at the same time.

"Well, Caleb always though there was something _odd_ about how close you two where and I kept on insisting there wasn't, so about a year ago we made a bet on it. Guess he won."

Tyler's blush increased and he lowered his head. Reid however was glaring at him both enraged and amused.

"You asshole." The blond snorted a moment later and shook his head.

For the first time in many days, Pogue felt himself actually laugh. "It's not my fault you two are predicable."

Reid growled loudly, causing Pogue's grin to widen as he stared at the two boys. However, his grin turned into sad one a short moment later. He happy the two boys had each other but at the same time, he couldn't help but feeling a bit angry at the fact that he was still alone.

(After what I did to Caleb, I deserve to be alone.)

Still, the more he watched the two of them, the more William's words sunk in. The elder Danvers was right; he couldn't just sit around and do nothing. If Chase was already targeting the two boys then how long would it be until he went after them? There was no way Reid or Tyler could fight back because they weren't strong enough, not even together. The only choice left was him.

"So what now?"

Pogue let go of his train of thought and turned towards the two boys. "What are you asking me for, I'm not joining you two in anything–"

"No you idiot. I mean what do we do about Chase?"

"We?" Pogue barked. "You two aren't gonna do anything."

"What?" Reid shot up off Tyler's bed. "You expect us to just sit on our asses while you go up against Chase by yourself?"

"Yes. I do." Pogue replied and also sat up.

"Bullshit."

"Reid, you can bitch and moan all you want but you're not going to help me. I have to do this on my own."

"What, why? Chase will kill you." Tyler finally spoke up.

Pogue stared at the younger boy and shrugged. "Well, he's tried to kill me three times already and failed... I'm pretty sure I have some chance."

It was a dry lie and he didn't even believe it himself, but never the less Pogue kept his face stern. There was no way in hell he going to let Reid and Tyler tag along with him and risk them getting hurt. The two younger covenant members were all he had and he'd gladly accept his own death in the place of their suffering. They needed to carry on what few blood lines the covenant had left.

"You can't be serious."

Pogue glanced over at Tyler and walked towards the door without saying anything else. He made his choice, he may not be strong enough to fight Chase but maybe he could find a way to stop him. Maybe he could find a way to free Caleb...

As the door slid shut behind him, he heard Reid growl and the blond stomped after him into the hallway a moment later.

"Pogue, wait a damn minute."

The older boy forced himself not to turn around as he walked down the hallway towards the staircase leading down to the first floor. However, as he descended down the stairs, he heard Reid's footsteps still fallowing him.

"Pogue!"

As he reached the bottom step, Pogue felt his body freeze against his will. Every nerve and limb went numb and no matter how hard he willed his limbs to move they wouldn't. He didn't understand what was happening to him until Reid jumped down the last step and moved in front of him, his eyes black and full of anger.

"Reid, let me go."

The blond shook his head. "No."

Pogue narrowed his eyes. "I'm not kidding Reid."

"No can do, not until you listen to me."

Pogue growled and tried to fight against the invisible force that held to that spot. He knew he could easily shatter their hold on him but he could tell from the way Reid was staring at him that the blond had something to say and their little tiff wouldn't end until it was said.

"Fine, out with it then."

"I've been attacked by a fucked up mutant spider and a darkling, had to drag your sorry ass out of the Danvers house when you were near death and I've had to put up Gorman and his half-assed excuses on what was going on. Plus, Tyler nearly killed himself every single time he had to heal your sorry ass and how do you repay us? 'You can bitch and moan all you want but you're not going to help me. I have to do this on my own'. Blah, blah, blah. Well too damn bad. We've already lost Caleb because we were told to stay behind while he played the hero and it's not going to happen again."

Pogue grew frustrated and in one quick move, he turned his eyes black and used his own powers to fight Reid's hold on his body.

"Reid you have no fucking idea what the hell you're dealing with." He roared and moved into the blond's personal space. "Chase is four times strong then any of us and he's in control of Caleb. Even if the three of us go up against him we still don't have a chance."

Reid still looked furious and gave him a look that showed he didn't care. Pogue quietly dammed the blond's thick stubbornness and desperately tried to think of a way to break it.

"Reid, do you love Tyler?"

"What the fuck does that have to do with anything?"

"Yes or no?"

"Yes." The blond growled, clenching his fists tightly. "I love Tyler."

"Then for fuck's sake, do as I ask. If something happens to me you'll have to protect him. The two of you need to carry the blood lines on."

Reid blinked, his eyes slowly fading back to their normal blue color. He stared at Pogue for a long stretch of minutes before a deep, shivering growl tore from his throat.

"You son of a bitch."

Pogue drew himself to his full height and held Reid's glare as he stepped around the other teen. Reid didn't move a muscle but his eyes fallowed Pogue's movements closely. He watched as the older boy walked to the edge of the hall and paused when he reached the corner.

"Pogue wait–you can't beat him."

"I know I can't." Pogue sighed softly. "But I can stop him."

"How?"

"I don't know, but I'll find a way."

With that, Pogue turned the corner and Reid listened to his footsteps until they faded from his ears. He remained where he was, his feet frozen to the spot.

Damn Pogue, why did he have to be a hero like Caleb? And what was worse, he dragged Tyler into their conversation and used it against him. Damn. Reid knew the only reason he was mad about that was because Pogue was right; Tyler needed him.

He swore angrily and kicked the wall with his foot as he climbed back up the stairs. Within a few moments, he reached his dorm-room and pushed the door open. When it swung inwards, Reid's head immediately jerked up and a sharp gasp came out of his lips. Tyler was lying on the floor between their beds unconscious and the instant Reid could get his legs to work, he darted across the room and dropped on his knees near Tyler's head.

"Ty, can you hear me? Tyler!"

The door slammed shut loudly behind him and Reid startled and whipped his head around. Caleb stood in the fair corner of the room, amusement flashing inside his amber eyes.

"Hello Reid."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

(What the hell...?)

Pogue's entire body grew tense as the front door of his apartment swung inward the moment he leaned against it. His throat tightened, he locked his door before he left this morning. He swore he remembered to.

Cautiously, he raised his hand once again and pushed the door all the way open. The sight that greeted his eyes instantly robbed him of all breath. His apartment was in complete ruin. The furniture was torn, hundreds of papers and his school books were shredded and scattered across his living room. Most of his belongings were completely destroyed.

(Chase!)

Fear coiled inside of Pogue's chest and he immediately bolted for the table he hid the pendent inside of. It was turned over and all but one of its drawers was ripped out. He checked the only intact compartment and shuffled its contents around until his eyes caught a glimpse of bright gold.

He breathed a loud sigh of relief and curled his fingers around the pendent's shape protectively. Chase didn't find it; he couldn't even begin to express how grateful he was for that. He tucked the pendent into his front pocket and he began making his way around the apartment, surveying the damage.

--

"Hello Reid."

In one movement, Rid felt his heart slid into his throat as he stared at the man standing a few short feet away from him. He honestly couldn't believe it was Caleb. The other boy's appearance was exactly the same as ever there was still something off. Pogue's words immediately replayed themselves inside of his mind; this wasn't Caleb. He could see it now in the other boy's eyes.

"Chase." Reid mumbled, remembered Pogue's exact words.

Caleb's face brightened and his lips twisted into a bone-chilling grin. "So, Pogue finally filled you in huh, that saves us a lot of time."

Reid glanced at Tyler's crumpled body and slowly stood up. His shoulders were tightly coiled with both fear and anger as he fought the urge to turn his eyes black. After all, Caleb's eyes were normal which meant the other boy wasn't going to lash out at him, at least not at the moment.

"What the fuck did you do to him?" Reid growled, motioning towards Tyler.

Caleb moved his eyes towards the unconscious body on the floor. "Don't worry, Tyler's just sleeping."

Reid's eyes moved back over Tyler's sleeping face and then back towards Caleb.

"What the fuck do you want?"

Caleb's lips twisted into a horrible grin that instantly reminded Reid of Chase. "I want many things, power, revenge, but mostly, I want my body back."

Reid stared at him coldly, not understanding a word. His eyes were busy moving quickly back and forth across the dorm room, looking for anything he could use as a weapon. Chase's powers may be stronger then his, but he could still move faster then him. His eyes moved over towards Tyler's desk and halted when they saw a letter opener. Perfect.

"What, Caleb's not good enough for you to leech off of?" Reid mocked, still glancing at the letter opener.

(Give me a reason you son of a bitch.)

"Same old Reid." Caleb sighed amused but then his face turned serious. "Now, if you're done wasting my time I have–"

Caleb halted in mid sentence as a large blur flashed in front of his eyes and a long, painful gash suddenly appeared on his lower arm. He raised his eyes towards the blond; Reid was standing in the exact same spot he was in a moment ago, the only difference was the boy was panting deeply and his hand was holding something sharp.

Intrigued, Caleb turned his arm over and stared at it; it wasn't a terribly deep wound but the fact that it appeared within the blink of an eye was more then enough to make him give the blond an impressed look.

"Time shift..." He mused as glanced at his arm and then at the bloodied edge of the letter opener clutched tightly in Reid's hand. "A very useful ability if you know how to use it–"

He cut off once he saw the same flash of light again and in one move, he violently swung his fist outwards and smiled devilishly when it successfully connected with Reid's jaw, sending the blonde crashing to the hard, wooden floor.

"But also one that's easy enough to track if you pay attention."

Reid groaned as his body slumped against the floor. Damn, Caleb hit like a hammer. His head was swimming from the impact and he wasn't even aware of Caleb moving until the older boy used his powers to roll him over on his back.

"Now you're not going to that again...are you?" Caleb asked, sending a painful ripple of his power through Reid's body.

Reid screamed as Caleb's powers tore through him, making his skin feel like it'd tear open and his head would explode at any given moment. With a dark laugh, Caleb withdrew his powers and leaned over him.

"Now that I have your attention, there's something you're going to do for me."

"Fuck you." Reid groaned as he spat a small glob of blood out of his mouth.

Caleb raised his arm and Reid shrieked as more of his power invaded his body. This time Caleb's torture lasted longer and after what felt like a painful eternity, Caleb pulled back.

"Now are you going to listen or is "fuck you" going to be your final answer?"

Reid's head fell back and a small whimper eased out of his mouth.

"What do you want?"

"That's more like it." Caleb smiled and leaned closer until his face was just a few inches above the blond's. "Pogue has something I want, a small item about this big..."

His closed his hand and held up his fist. Reid blinked when he realized what the older boy was implying.

"The pendent thingy..."

"Exactly, you're going to steal it for me."

Reid stared up at him in disbelief for a moment before his anger took over.

"Go to hell."

Caleb simply rolled his eyes. "Right then, be a smart ass."

More pain flooded into his body but Reid kept his screams silent. There was no way he was going to give Caleb/Chase any more satisfaction of seeing him in pain.

"Stubborn just like Pogue I see." Caleb's lips turned into a stomach turning grin as his head turned towards the area where Tyler was. "I wonder if baby boy has a high pain tolerance too."

Reid gasped slightly. "No."

Caleb slyly moved his eyes back towards the blond, his dark eyes holding a dark glint. "Oh, have I found a dent in your armor?"

Reid tried to roll over but Caleb's power forced him back on the floor.

"If you fucking touch Tyler I'll–"

"You'll kill me? Please, we both know it's an empty threat, but this isn't." The darker haired boy leaned closer. "If you don't get that pendent for me, I'll make Tyler bleed."

Fear gripped Reid's chest, even though he tried to hide it and his eyes darted towards Tyler's form. The thought of Chase touching him– hurting him– instantly made him feel both sick and enraged. His eyes were burning with anger as he turned back towards Caleb; the damn bastard was still smiling at him.

"F-fine." He stuttered painfully.

"Good. You have three days." Caleb purred as he stood up. "And Reid, I will be checking on you so don't even try to run."

With that, Caleb's eyes flashed again and the light inside of the room flicked as he disappeared. Reid gasped as the crushing weight was removed from his body and coughed a few times as his lungs fought for air. With shaking arms, he rolled over onto his stomach and pulled himself upright. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth and a few drops landed on the floor beneath him and the corner of his hand.

"Fuck. What the hell am I gonna do now?" He wheezed as his fingers traced the side of his face.

Luckily nothing felt broken, even though the side of his jaw stung painfully from where Caleb hit him. A soft moan soon reached his ears and Reid turned his head in Tyler's direction. The younger boy sleepily opened his eyes.

"Reid?"

Tyler's eyes froze when they located the blond and after emitting a frightened gasp, he crawled over to him.

"Reid what the hell happened, you're bleeding–"

"I'm fine." Reid mumbled and pushed Tyler's questioning fingers away.

Tyler gave him a pleading look and raised his hand; the tips of his fingers were glowing with their normal soft red light and pressed it against Reid's cheek. Immediately, a warm sensation coursed through Reid's face as the bruised skin healed and he found himself leaning into Tyler's touch.

"What happened, who hurt you?" Tyler asked.

Reid didn't say anything; he was too lost in his own thoughts.

"_If you don't get that pendent for me, I'll make Tyler bleed._"

A lump formed inside of his throat, forcing Reid to bit his lip and bring a knee to his chest. Tyler gave him a concerned look as he finished healing him.

"Reid what's wrong?"

Reid gazed at Tyler silently for a long time before he lowered his head and rested it against his knee.

"Nothing."

--

Pogue sighed inwardly as he pulled his coffee table back to its original position. One of its legs was cracked and its face was dented in a few areas but it was still in one piece so he didn't see a reason to toss it.

The rest of his furniture wasn't so lucky and Pogue knew he'd have to throw most of his stuff out since he didn't see a point in repairing them with his powers; most of his stuff was cheap and easily replaceable.

He started straightening up the area around the table after wards, gathering up the many crumpled papers and tossing them into the garbage bag in his other hand. Eventually, his fingers bumped against one of his school books and Pogue bent over a short moment later to pick it up. He glanced it over, a few pages where ripped but it still looked in good shape. He was about to toss it on the table when his eyes caught a quick glimpse at the page, forcing him to do a double take.

At first, he couldn't believe what he was seeing so he blinked a few times in order to be sure. One of the pages the book was opened to there was a rough sketch of a small round object. His eyes bore into the book, not fully believing what they saw. He reached into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled the gold pendent out, setting it in the crease of the book. There was no denying it, he was seeing double. In the corner of the right page was a black and white rendering of the exact same pendent. Intrigued, his eyes darted across the small text under the image, and he recited the words inside of his head.

_A Spirit Talisman (Pictured) is one of many items used in the rituals the early settlers of Ipswich practiced. There are four known in existence, each one representing a direction with a different color, silver for north, green for east, red for south and blue for west. Many Rituals called for the use of one but only one ritual called for all four. The Crimson Tome, also known as the ritual of blood, demanded the use for all four in order to call a departed soul from the spirit realm into the known world._

A deep weight dropped into Pogue's stomach and he had to sit down for a moment, glancing down at the gold pendent.

(So that's what this damn thing is...)

He re-read the passed again and his head fell back against the couch when he finished.

(This shit is getting more fucked up by the day.)


	26. Chapter 26

**NC-17 WARNING**

**NC-17 WARNING!**

Seriously, I'm warning you lol

**Chapter 26**

(Damn, it's still bleeding.)

Reid lightly traced his finger across the cut in his lower lip and frowned when he saw its tip was covered with a few drops of blood. He wiped it against his pant leg and tried to ignore the annoyed sigh that came from Tyler's bed.

"Will you let me heal your lip already?"

Reid glared at him. "Leave it alone."

"But–"

"It's fine Tyler. I'll live." Reid growled and leaned back on his bed.

He winced slightly as his body bent at a painful angle and he was forced to readjust himself. Even though Tyler had tried to patch him up as best as he could with his powers Reid refused to let the younger boy completely heal him. He didn't deserve Tyler's kindness, not after giving in to Chase so easily. He should've let that bastard kill him; it would've been better and more honorable then what he was being forced to do now.

Tyler sighed once again and slid off his bed. Reid watched him out of the corner of his eye as the younger boy moved towards him.

"Reid."

The blond didn't answer, not even when Tyler scooted closer and lightly placed a hand on his shoulder. Tyler's palm was warm and Reid found himself immediately calming down because of it.

"Why won't you just tell me what happened? Was it Chase?"

"Tyler–"

"Reid."

Tyler was fully using the powers of his baby blue eyes and Reid groaned mentally. He doubted there was soul on this earth who could refuse the powers those blue gems held.

"Fine, yes Chase was here. He knocked me around for a bit and then left." The blond lied, silently praying that Tyler wouldn't question it further.

The blue gems widened with fear and Reid mentally kicked himself.

"What did he want?"

Reid bit his lip, ignoring the pain from the small cut. "I don't know."

The whole left side of his body was incased with warmth as Tyler pressed himself close to Reid's shoulder. After a long moment, Reid finally gave in and pulled Tyler into his arms. The younger boy instantly curled into him and rested his head in the familiar crook of Reid's neck. However, the blond jerked slightly as Tyler's arm bumped a sensitive area near his stomach and shoved the younger boy away slightly.

"Fuck, ow."

"Fine my ass Reid. Will you just let me heal you already?" Tyler snapped and pulled Reid's shirt up until his eyes saw a large black and blue area. "Fuck, he did a number on you."

Reid rolled his eyes and tried to push Tyler's hand away but the younger boy prevented it with a stern glare before his eyes turned black. Not wanting to anger baby boy further, Reid just sighed and let Tyler run his hand over his bruised stomach. The pain and stiffness was soon replaced by Tyler's endless warmth. The warmth disappeared a moment later and Reid was just about ready to fix his shirt when Tyler's hand stopped him.

"Ty come on, I'm fine–"

The remaining words were cut off as Tyler's warm, wet mouth pressed against the recently healed skin of Reid's stomach. A deep, throaty moan eased from his lips before his mind caught up with him and he realized what Tyler was doing.

"Tyler?"

The younger boy kissed the tender area of his stomach a few more times before he looked up, his blue eyes foggy and lust filled. Reid had to blink a few times in order to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Tyler then pressed their mouths together a moment later in a shy kiss. Reid's body immediately relaxed into the kiss and pulled Tyler closer, wanting to feel the other boy's heat. The darker haired boy groaned softly as Reid gently pushed him down on the bed.

Their hands moved in a normal, lazy pattern as they traced along each other's bodies. Reid was the first one to take the process further by sliding the hem of Tyler's shirt up the boy's firm stomach. His fingers enjoyed the warmth of silken skin under their tips, drawing a soft moan from the younger boy's lips.

"Mmm, keep doing that."

Reid smiled at him before he lowered his head and attached his mouth to the same spot his fingers touched mere seconds ago. Tyler moaned louder and arched off the bed slightly. His hands moved to Reid's shoulders and gripped tightly as the blond moved his trail of kisses up his stomach.

"Here, sit up." Reid mumbled as he pushed Tyler's shirt up once again.

The younger boy obliged him and sat up, pulling the troubling cloth over his head. Reid did the same a moment later with his own shirt and tossed it to the side, his eyes hungrily roamed over exposed skin, drinking in the view.

"Nice." Reid purred, raising a hand to touch Tyler's bare shoulder.

"You've seen me shirtless before." The other boy shrugged.

"Yeah, but now I can look as freely as I want."

Tyler's cheeks reddened slightly but before he could turn his head away, Reid leaned closer for another kiss. The younger boy was a little hesitant at first but Tyler quickly relaxed and opened his mouth for Reid's tongue to enter its moist depths. Their kiss ended a quick a moment later and the blond gently pushed Tyler against the bed once again. He moved his mouth down the other boy's neck and gently raked his teeth against the soft skin.

"Mmh, Reid."

"Baby boy." Reid mumbled against the skin of his neck and resumed kissing and gently biting the silken flesh.

The body in his arms quivered and whimpered softly as Reid moved his mouth down Tyler's shoulder. A soft whimper came from his lips as the blond moved downwards, his mouth now hovering over a very sensitive nipple.

Tyler's back arched as Reid took the tiny bud in his mouth, gently rubbing his moist tongue against its hardening tip. Its twin was soon given the same treatment and by the time Reid moved his mouth away, Tyler's skin had already gathered goose bumps.

"So needy." Reid whispered against the skin of the boy's neck. "I love it."

Tyler blushed once again and Reid couldn't help his smile; the younger boy was so adorable when he was nervous.

"Sure you wanna go the rest of the way?" The older boy asked, pulling away from Tyler's neck.

Tyler went silent for a few moments before he shakily nodded. "Yes."

Relief washed over him a moment later in a calming wave that was soon replaced by another powerful emotion; lust. Tyler looked so enthralling with is bare skin flushed and glowing in the dim lighting of their room. He felt like he could just sit there forever and stare at him.

Well he could, but judging from the annoyed glint in Tyler's baby-blues the younger boy wasn't comfortable with it.

"What?"

Reid smiled slightly and shook his head as he crawled back up Tyler's lithe body. "Nothing."

--

(Oh now what have we here?)

Chase cocked an eyebrow as his enhanced vision caught sight of the happenings on the other side of the wooden door in front of him. He had originally decided to pay Garwin another visit in order to speed the process of obtaining the talisman sooner but this was almost as satisfying.

(Well, no wonder he caved so easily.)

He chuckled to himself and used his powers to open the empty dorm next to them, using more of his limitless powers to sharpen his eyesight. He could see the two of them clearly through the wall and he decided to make himself more comfortable and sat down on the edge of a nearby bed. The room he had chosen was empty so he took the opportunity to fully relax and enjoy what he hoped would be an entertaining sight.

(Now this should be interesting.)

--

"This might hurt a bit, are you ready?"

"Think so." Tyler whispered nervously.

Reid leaned down to give the younger boy a kiss as he gently ran a lubed finger in between Tyler's long, soft legs, searching for the boy's tender hole. Even though Reid didn't have the first clue about what he was doing, his arm felt like it was acting on its own accord; almost like a voice in the back of his head was instructing him on what to do. Tyler jerked and whimpered as Reid's finger gently brushed against the sensitive area of his entrance. A finger was soon pushed past the tight ring of muscle and Tyler's back arched off the bed.

"Reid."

Reid held his finger still and looked up at Tyler's face. "Give it a moment, you'll loose up."

Tyler bit his lip and nodded, silently willing his body to relax. Reid's finger probed deeper the moment the wall of muscle relaxed, trying to open the younger boy as much as he could. He added a second finger a quick second later, twisting the two digits gently inside the tight, hot tunnel. Tyler was thrashing underneath him with pleased moans emitting from his pink lips. After the third finger, the younger boy's hands were nearly clawing through the bedding under him and Reid waited until he honestly felt Tyler was ready for the next step before he withdrew his fingers.

He grabbed the small tube of lubricant and crawled back up Tyler's body, anchoring himself over the younger boy.

"Ready?"

Tyler answered his question by moving his arms around the blond's firm back. Reid leaned forwards and brought their lips together for another long kiss as he moved Tyler's legs around his waist and positioned himself at the younger boy's lower entrance. He gently moved his hips forwards and Tyler gasped slightly from the pain of the intrusion but didn't voice his discomfort. However, his eyes watered a second later and Reid forced his body to remain still in order for Tyler to adjust to the sensation of being filled.

The entire length of Reid's body was trembling from the tight walls of muscle lining Tyler's insides as they pushed and contracted against his hard member. The younger boy tightened his legs around Reid's waist when his body finally relaxed and slowly turned his eyes up towards his partner. Deep, foggy blue gems gazed up at him and Reid felt himself melt from the amount of trust displayed in their depths.

"I'm ready." Tyler whispered softly, gently placing his hands on Reid's broad shoulders.

Being as gentle as he could, Reid started rolling his hips forwards. At first, Tyler's fingers tensed and dug into Reid's shoulders as he felt nothing but sharp pains from Reid's movements but a quick moment later a tiny sigh escaped from his mouth.

"Reid."

"Damn, you feel good." Reid groaned as Tyler's heat over took him completely.

He sped up his thrusts a moment later after making sure all of the noises coming from Tyler's mouth where from pleasure and not pain. The younger boy's back arched as Reid hit a sensitive area that sent a wonderful shiver throughout his entire body. He was honestly amazed that Reid was making this feel so good – since when was Reid Garwin a pro at doing this with a guy– and he was hitting every sensitive spot, making him shutter against the older boy's chest.

Reid drew him into a kiss and Tyler surprised both of them by sliding his slick tongue past Reid's bruised and cut lips. The blond groaned loudly into their joined mouths and slid a hand down Tyler's stomach towards his hardened cock and started stroking it gently. The redness came back to Tyler's face as he felt Reid's fingers move up and down his shaft and for a moment he felt like stopping him. Reid apparently must've sensed it because he tilted Tyler's face towards him once more and resumed their heated kiss.

Tyler didn't fight; he couldn't even bring himself to. His entire body was growing weak and shaky as Reid kept thrusting inside of him and stroking his cock in time with his trusts. He knew he wouldn't last for much longer; Reid was making this feel to good.

His fingers dung deeper into Reid's shoulders, hard enough to leave marks and he completely gave himself over to the older boy. Reid didn't voice a complaint however; he just sped up his thrusts and made sure every last one of them hit Tyler's sweat spot. A fiery hot sensation slowly crept up Reid's spine as he felt his climax approach. The feeling grew more intense each passing moment and when he finally peaked, the fire spread throughout his entire body as he spilled his seed into Tyler's body. The younger boy fallowed almost instantly and buried his face into Reid's shoulder.

The older boy hardly noticed because at the very moment his body felt like it was twisting it's self inside out. His skin felt like it was on fire as did the inside of his body and from the way Tyler was groaning and shaking underneath him he assumed the younger boy was experiencing the same feeling as well. A long, painful moment later something dark and powerful clawed away at the inside of his body and Reid collapsed on the bed next to Tyler as his body started convulsing. He didn't need a mirror to tell him that his eyes were black and when he turned his head towards Tyler, he saw that the younger boy's eyes were also the same.

"That was weird." Tyler panted when his body stopped shaking.

"Yeah, but everything else up until then was nice." Reid tried to chuckle but didn't have enough energy to.

When his strength returned, Reid rolled closer to the younger boy and gently moved his arms around him. The warmth that fluttered inside of his heart was indescribable as the younger covenant member smiled and huddled closer to him. Tyler's eyes immediately noticed the small red welts on Reid's shoulders from where his fingers dug into the skin and the blush came back to his face.

"Um, sorry." He mumbled and lightly traced his fingers over the marks.

They faded almost instantly and Reid leaned over and gave him a soft peck on the forehead.

"Thanks baby."

Tyler smiled weakly and curled against him.

--

(Healing powers, now that's interesting.)

Chase hummed to himself as he watched the two boys huddle against each other before slowly drifting off to sleep.

(How touching.)

A deep growl resonated from deep within his mind and Chase chuckled slightly.

(Aw, what's wrong William, not enjoying the view?)

_You sicken me._

(Now that hurts. After all, I wasn't the one who raped your son now was I?)

As he expected, the elder Danvers emitted another deep growl.

_I'll thoroughly enjoy ripping your limbs apart the day I'm strong enough too._

(And that day is never going to come William. Who do think's going to help you, Pogue?)

William made another throaty noise, however it wasn't a growl; instead the elder Danvers chuckled loudly.

_You have no idea what the Parry bloodline is capable of, do you boy?_

(Is that a threat? Please, Pogue doesn't have the balls to come after me and even if he did, I'd flatten him like I did your son.)

William remained silent for a moment before Chase heard his voice again, this time it sounded somewhat amused.

_Enjoy being arrogant boy, because it'll cost you._

With that, William retreated into the depths of their mind and Chase rolled his eyes.

(Senile old man. One of these days I'll crush you.)

_And I welcome the day you try, because I'll rip you in half._


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

A cold chill jabbed into Pogue's spine like a sharp knife.

Once again he found himself trapped inside the stonewalled room. The air was thick with the usual cold chill that froze him to his very core. The many candelas were lit; casting a soft gold light around him and for the first time Pogue could fully see the entire room.

The stone walls were a dark side of burgundy, held together by black stone pillars. There were many carvings in blue and black inks of large runes on the wall to his left and to his right stood a large blue stone table with a long smooth surface. Hesitantly, Pogue reached his hand out and lightly trailed his fingers across the surface. It was cold under his fingertips and its smooth cover was thoroughly polished. There was a large crack that ran down its surface and many runes were carved into its edges, framing the large stone table with gold inscriptions.

He didn't even bother trying to make out what the letters were. He couldn't tell what language they were in but his instincts were tell him all he needed to know, this _thing_, carved straight out the hard stone in the ground, was charged with power. His eyes continued roaming over its surface, following the trail of gold letters until another set of carvings caught his attention. At the foot of the stone table were four holes, each about the size of his hand and from their shapes they were created to hold four round items.

His fingers ran across the table's surface once more, letting his mind feel out the area. Many emotions were floating in the cold air, anger, fear, but the strongest one was sorrow. He removed his fingers and backed away before the emotion overwhelmed him. Whatever this thing was, it was something he knew he shouldn't be messing with.

Turning his attention away from the table, he moved his eye to the nearby wall. Most of its surface was taken up with drawings done in blue and black inks, like the rest of the room. A few of them were too faded and too smudged for him to see them clearly but the one on his right was clear as day. Two figures were etched into the wall, the first one had his back turned and a large, blue tattoo covered most of his skin while the second figure looked like it was carving the tattoo into the first. As he stared at the drawing, a cold jolt jabbed against his mind and Pogue startled from the contact.

_You need to leave. Now._

Pogue righted himself and blinked when he recognized the voice that just spoke to him.

(William?)

There was no doubt in his mind that was William's voice and from the force of the elder's persistence, something was wrong. A dark shadow ghosted over one of the far walls and William's presence jabbed at his mind once again.

_Pogue you need to wake up now. If he finds you here I can assure you it won't be pleasant!_

(I'm sleeping?)

The shadow on the wall grew larger as a figure approached and Pogue heard the elder curse loudly.

_Dammit, Pogue I'm sorry I have to this but I don't have any other choice. If he finds you he'll rip your mind to shreds._

Before Pogue could question the elder's words a sharp blinding pain radiated from the back of his skull. He screamed and brought a hand to his head as his vision swam. He felt his knees hit the floor a moment before the room disappeared out from underneath him. He was pulled through a thick veil of dark, heavy fog and came to a crashing halt a short time later as his consciousness was sent back to his body.

--

Pogue awoke with a jolt as an excruciating headache completely engulfed the right side of his forehead. With a pained groan, he covered his head with his hands and waited for it to pass, forcing his eyes to stay shut and his mind blank to speed up the process.

A few long moments later, the pain dulled enough for him to open his eyes and he was able to pull himself upright. His head felt like it was splitting open but he was slowly growing used to the sensation, after all, he lost count of how many times he'd been pulled out of his body during his sleep. The sight of his messy living room greeted him and a tired groan came form his throat. Even though he tried to clean up the destruction Chase had caused as best as he could, the place was still a mess. A large stack of his school books laid on the cracked coffee table with one laying open on the page Pogue had left off on during the night before he fell asleep.

He glanced at the book's pages half-heartedly before he rose to his feet and padded into his small kitchen. After grabbing a bottle of water from his fridge, he downed half of it and started tearing the small area apart for some aspirin, hoping that he still had the bottle lying around somewhere. Just as his fingers located the bottle, the left side of his chest tingled once again with warmth sending a tired groan from Pogue's lips.

(Will this damn thing ever go away?)

After tossing two pills into his mouth and swallowing them dry, Pogue straightened up closed his eyes. His head still felt like it was coming apart at the seams but with the aid of the aspirin the feeling was soon going away.

(Finally, damn that room, where ever the hell it is.)

He grabbed the bottle of water, nursing it as he made his way back into the living room and fell back on the couch, letting his tired and stiff body sink into the cushions once again. He was really starting to miss the days before he ascended, at least in those days he could get a full night's sleep without being pulled out of his body or having fucked up nightmares.

_Yes, those were the days for us all... _

Pogue gasped and the water bottle fell from his hands and thudded against the floor loudly.

_Relax boy, it's me._

(William?)

The elder's presence soon wrapped around his mind and Pogue couldn't help but shiver from the sensation.

_How's your head?_

(It'll get better. It always does.)

He felt William sadden a bit but the feeling was soon lost.

_My apologies, but it needed to be done. If Chase had found you we wouldn't be having this conversation._

Pogue nodded mentally, not really knowing if William felt the gesture or not.

(I've been to that place a few times before, what is it?)

Silence echoed inside of his head and he had to repeat the question a few times before William answered.

_It's a place you don't want to end up in, that's all you need to know._

(Why not?)

William sighed. _Because Pogue, It's an ungodly, damned place. Anyone who enters never comes back._

(But you're here.)

_I'm not alive, remember. Neither is Chase at the moment so he can come and go from that room freely._

(What about Caleb?)

The elder's voice drew silent for a long moment and when he spoke again his voice was darker.

_Its taking it's tole on his body and draining him no matter how hard I try to stop it. There's more power inside the place then you can imagine._

Pogue bit his lip and thought for a moment. So far all of his dreams had been connected, he'd seen through Caleb's eyes and seen everything Chase was looking for so did that mean that place was connected to Chase's plan as well?

All of his thoughts pointed towards a yes.

(Where is that place?)

_I can't tell you._

(William, where is it?)

_Pogue, I can't tell you._

(Why the hell not?)

_Because._

(William? What the hell are you hiding?)

_It's for your own good lad; you need to stay away from that place._

(Why dammit, will you just answer my question already? Why the hell do I have to stay away from it?)

Another long moment of silence passed between them and William's voice was cold when he spoke next.

_Because Pogue, if you fallow the dead you can never return to the realm of the living._

The blood froze inside of Pogue's body and time seamed to slow to a painful crawl as he took in William's words.

(What are you saying?)

_Go read the text in the Book of Damnation, it'll tell you all you need to know. I have to leave now, Caleb's waking up._

(Wait a minute; does this have anything to do with the pendent I found?)

_Read the book and you'll find your answers, _William's voice replied as his presence slowly withdrew it's self from Pogue's mind.

Pogue's body instantly felt cold as the elder's power faded and he sagged against the couch tiredly. He replayed the entire conversation in his head and his eyes moved towards the coffee table and gazed at the pedant resting on its surface. After a moment, he leaned forwards and grasped it between his fingers.

(What the fuck is this thing anyway? I have half a mind to throw it against the fucking wall.)

He resisted the urge as William's words echoed inside of his head once again and instead, shoved the small item into his pocket and grabbed his textbook from atop the table. He wanted some answers and he knew the only place he'd find them were at the colony house.

--

Reid silently stared at the far wall of his dorm room as the small space was starting to illuminate its self from the early morning sun, casting shadows throughout the room. Their shapes were random and he couldn't care less of what they looked like but the small shapes were more then enough to keep his attention diverted from the thoughts running ramped through his head.

A soft puff of warm air brushed against his arm and almost instantly, Reid moved his eyes downwards towards the sleeping boy he was pressed against. Tyler's eyes were lightly closed and his breath was even and soft, signaling the younger boy was still fast asleep. Reid watched him for a little while longer before resting his head in the soft nape of Tyler's neck and closed his eyes, letting himself be lost in Tyler's warmth.

What was he going to do now? The thought of listening to Chase, the thought of obeying the bastard was more then enough turn his stomach but if he didn't...he didn't let himself finish that train of thought. Ever since they were younger, Reid always felt like he needed to protect the younger boy and that need intensified greatly over the past few days. There was no fucking way he was going to let that son of a bitch touch Tyler, not while he was still breathing but if he didn't want Chase to touch Tyler then he was left with only one option and he knew he wouldn't enjoy it.

He felt the younger boy shift in his arms and Reid loosened his arms and opened his eyes as Tyler turned and curled against his chest. His eyes were drawn to the other boy's face as Tyler laid his head on his chest but they were torn away when the sound of someone clearing their throat sounded in the room. Reid's head shot up and when he looked around the room he saw Caleb sitting on the second bed.

"About time you woke up."

"You son of a bitch, how long have you been sitting there?" Reid snarled as he sat up, forcing all of his anger and embarrassment into a deep glare.

"Not long, but I did happen to witness your little 'escapade' during the night."

Reid's eyes narrowed. "Well gee, I hope we were entertaining enough for you then you sick fucker. Did you get off too."

"Actually it was interesting to watch." Caleb replied, with a sick glint in his eyes.

Reid slid to the edge of the bed, keeping the thin blanket up around his waist; there was no way in hell he was going to give Chase anything else to look at.

"What's the real reason you're here?"

Caleb's shoulders straightened as the boy drew himself up. "Have you forgotten our deal?"

"How the hell could I?"

"Good, then you're going to see Pogue and steal the pendent for me. Today."

Reid's glare deepened and a growl echoed inside of his throat. "Fine asshole. I'll get your damn necklace."

Caleb rose and slid off the bed. "Perfect, because it would be such a shame if anything happened to something so precious and innocent."

Caleb's eyes slowly moved towards Tyler's sleeping frame and Reid's stomach turned as his dark eyes roamed up and down the younger boy's body. The blond growled again, his anger reaching an all time high. It may be Caleb's body that was standing in front of him but the sickening gaze was all Chase's.

"Are you gonna leave anytime soon?" Reid asked annoyed as he gently anchored his body over Tyler's, trying to protect the younger covenant member with his large frame.

Caleb's lips curved into a bone-curling smile. "As you wish. Pogue should be at Gorman's. I'll be seeing you later."

Within the blink of an eye he was gone but Reid's eyes still remained glued to the spot where he was standing until a deep sigh emitted form his throat.

"Son of a bitch."

With a heavy heart, he rolled his feet to the floor a moment later and walked over towards his dresser. He dressed silently, not really caring what he was putting on and grabbed the keys to Tyler's Hummer off the desk, knowing the younger boy as well as he did, he knew Tyler wouldn't mind if he swiped his car for a few hours. He tucked the keys into his front pocket and started in the direction of the door when a soft moan grabbed his attention. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw a sleepy pair of blue eyes watching him.

"Reid, where you going?" Tyler sleepily asked, rubbing his eyes slightly.

Reid was mute for a few moments and then shakily cleared his throat.

"Goin' out for a bit."

"Where?"

"I need to talk to Pogue."

Tyler sat up and yawned sleepily. "M'kay. Don't be long."

A small ball of warmth fluttered inside of Reid's chest as he stared at the younger boy, the sleepy innocence in the boy's eyes were all the motivation he needed; he wouldn't let anything happen to him. He slowly walked back towards the bed and crouched near Tyler and gently placed a kiss on the boy's forehead.

"I love you." He whispered as he moved his mouth towards Tyler's. "So much."

Their kiss was soft and short lived as Reid pulled back just as Tyler was trying to deepen it.

"I'll see ya in a bit."

With that, he rose from the bed and pulled open the main door. He paused once the door closed behind him in the hall as strange, ball of warmth radiated from the left side of his chest. Feeling confused, he felt the area with his hand only to discover the skin it's self was hot to the touch. The feeling disappeared a moment later and after standing in the same spot for a long stretch of minutes, he shook his head and started towards the stairs.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Gorman gently placed the book he was reading on the small table next to his chair and rubbed his tired eyes. He'd been up for many hours pouring over his many books and scrolls, hoping he could find something to aid in his search for answers.

He wasn't finding any; none of his books held any answers but he refused to give up. After all, what choice did he have? His covenant was in shambles and their sons were disorientated and lost; he needed to something, it was his duty as the only surviving elder. He heaved a tired sigh and reached for his book once again when his hand froze in mid air. Something dark and venomous brushed over his mind, like an imaginary hand, forcing the hairs on his arm to stand up.

Someone was here...

Instinctively he filtered his powers outward, feeling through the many halls of the house trying to locate the source of the disturbance. He founded it a short time later; the dark feelings were coming from the inside of his house! Being as silent as he could, Gorman rose from his chair and reached for his cane, tightly gripping its handle with his thin fingers as the feelings grew stronger and stronger by each passing minute. He tried to keep his footsteps silent as he headed into the hallway and into the house's foyer.

The feelings in the air grew stronger and when he tracked their source, Gorman discovered they were coming from the far side of the house. Dread and nervousness quickly pooled inside of his stomach but never the less, Gorman fallowed the hall and towards the open doorway that led into the large dinning room of the house. The area near the door was dimly lit with a small flicker of morning light and as he approached the room, he spied a single column of light peering in through a crack in a window shade. The tiny flame lit the room with a pale glow and completely illuminated the lone figure sitting at the table who eyed the elder with a cold gaze.

"You know, I honestly expected the strong hold of the legendary covenant to be much nicer then this."

Gorman's eyes narrowed as he stared at the figure, almost immediately recognizing the dark hair and the bulky frame.

"You!"

"Yes, me." Caleb replied darkly leaning forwards in order for the light to catch his face.

Gorman stared at the boy, his body coiled tight and ready in case he had to defend himself. A smile lit up Caleb's face as he noticed his behavior and the teen lazy leaned back in his chair.

"Now, now old man, there's no reason to be rude." Caleb's smile stayed in place as he flashed his eyes, slowly making the chair across from him slid outwards.

The elder narrowed his eyes at the chair and remained where he was.

Caleb's smile soured slightly. "Here I am being civilized and all I get in return is rudeness."

"Civilized? You barge right into my house and expect me to a gracious host after everything you've done to my god children you ungrateful little whelp? I have half a mind to tear your arm out of its socket."

"That's rich coming from a frail old man who cab hardly lift the cane in his hands. I can see now where Pogue gets that stubborn streak of his."

The elder's face hardened even more. "You leave him out of this, if you come anywhere near Pogue again–"

"You'll hurt me; kill me, blah, blah. All of you say the same damn thing over and over and guess what, I'm still standing." Caleb laughed coldly.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" Gorman snarled.

"Answers."

Gorman narrowed his eyes once again. "Answers to what?"

"The Nexus Stone, how does it work?"

"I don't know what that is." The elder replied darkly.

The air around the two of them thickened as Caleb became angry and Gorman could feel his powers gathering inside of the small room.

"Don't lie to me old man, you know damn well what I'm talking about. The fucking thing is cracked and won't work. How do you fix it?"

Gorman eyed the boy for the longest time. "Boy you are messing with things you shouldn't be. You saw what happened to your father when he tried–"

The elder silenced when Caleb's fist slammed into the table loudly.

"My father was week and a moron for trusting a member of your covenant to help him–"

"He dug his own grave when he tried to manipulate Roran; he knew damn well none of us could control him and the damned fool completely shattered Roran's grip on reality."

Caleb's eyes narrowed dangerously. "So Roran was the one who cracked it then?"

"I wouldn't know, I wasn't there. It could've been Roran, Gavin or your father for all I know. They were the ones near it last."

"So you do know what it is."

Gorman blinked and growled slightly, his fingers tightening around his cane's handle. Caleb laughed once again and leaned back in his chair.

"I thought so. How do I fix it then?"

"I already told you, I don't know." Gorman barked, banging him cane on the floor loudly. "And if I did, what makes you think I'd ever tell a selfish little bastard like you?"

The instant he finished, Caleb's eyes turned black and the boy violently flung his arm outwards and the elder was thrown hard into the wall behind him. The impact knocked him off balance and the second Gorman righted himself and looked up, Caleb was less then a foot away from him.

"Now I'm sure I can find a way to get some answers. For starters I can always pull a limb or two off. And if that doesn't work–"

The boy didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before he was thrown onto the table by a powerful wave of the elder's powers. A surprised, pained groan tore from the boy's lips as he struggled to pull himself upright.

"Well, well, there is some power in you after all old man."

"I'm much stronger then you are boy, in case you've forgotten." Gorman snarled and forcibly rolled the boy on his back with a lazy wave of his hand.

"Could've fooled me since you ever use it." Caleb growled darkly and fought back, using his powers to fight the hold the elder had on him.

The boy fought hard enough for the elder to feel winded but he refused to yield. Caleb's chest heaved painfully and after taking a deep breath of air, the boy raised his hand and jerked a finger sharply. Gorman let out a pained cry as a deep, painful cut started forming on his left forearm and angrily, he used his powers to slam Caleb's head back against the table.

"Arrogant little brat, I can keep this up all day."

Caleb turned his head towards the elder and laughed darkly. "So can I because it's not me you're hurting."

The elder gave him as puzzled look which then turned into a dark glare when the meaning of Chase's words sunk in.

"Can you feel him Gorman? Can you feel him writhing and screaming? I know he's got to be in pain from all of this."

A long string of emotions touched the elder's mind almost instantly and somewhere deep within his skull he could hear Caleb's voice wallowing in pain. He tried to contact it but his godson's presence was then engulfed by a heavy mental wall that he couldn't break through.

He was too busy trying to locate the source of the mysterious power that he failed to notice Caleb working an arm free until the boy used his powers to throw the elder off of him. The hard wooden floor slammed into his shoulder as he fell backwards and before Gorman could scramble to his feet, Caleb's footsteps neared him.

"As much as I love proving to every member of your covenant who's stronger, I have more important things to deal with. Now, are you gonna give me the answers I need or am I going to have to force them out?"

A strong wave of Chase's power forced him onto his back and Gorman glared into Caleb's eyes dark eyes. "Do your worse boy, but I doubt you'll kill me, I've outlived five bloodlines of this covenant."

Caleb stared at him silent for a moment and leaned down over him.

"Now who ever said I was going to kill you?"

The dark glint in the boy's eyes told Gorman all he needed to know and the elder was about to growl a reply when a set of footsteps entered the room.

"You son of a bitch."

The elder turned his head to the side and gasped slightly when he saw a blond haired boy standing in the doorway.

"I told you to stay outside." Caleb snarled as he raised his head.

"Yeah, and you also said you wouldn't hurt him!" Reid snapped back as he stormed into the dining room, his hands balled into fists.

Caleb rose to his feet and shrugged innocently. "I didn't, I merely fought back in self defense. You can even ask him."

Reid turned his head towards the wounded elder and even though his hazed vision, Gorman could see the pleading and the desperateness written inside them; almost like they were asking for help. Confused, the elder forced what was left of his powers outwards in order to touch the blond's mind but they were quickly blocked.

"Ah-ah-ah old man. None of that." Caleb mocked and leaned down closer once again. "He's here willingly, that's all you need to know."

"Fuck you." Reid growled across the room.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and go wait for Pogue to show, like I told you to."

"Blow me you son of a bitch."

Caleb's eyes narrowed as he stared the blond down. "Reid, do you really want to make me angry?"

Cold, sharp fear jabbed against Gorman's subconscious as the blond gave him one more apologetic look and slowly left the room, glaring at Caleb the entire time.

"You monster... what are you doing to him?" The elder seethed, his anger rapidly growing.

Caleb cocked his head to the side and leaned over the elder's crumpled body once again

"I'd be a bit more worried about myself if I was you, but if you'd tell me what I'd wanna hear then things would go much differently."

Gorman stared at him for a moment before a tiny grin came to his face. "I think my god child said it the best, fuck you."

Caleb rolled his eyes and raised his arm once again. "As you wish old man."

--

Pogue grimaced as a dark wave of power washed over him and it took all of his strength to keep a strong hold on the Ducati's handle bars before the bike could low-side on the dirt road. He immediately killed the throttle and waited for the bike to slide to a halt on the side of the road.

The night air was thick with power and Pogue had a decent guess where the source of it was coming from; he was less then a mile away from the colony house and what was worse, the presence that tore through the early morning air was too dark to be Gorman's.

Once he got his body to stop shaking, Pogue centered his weight evenly over his bike and maneuvered the machine back on the road. Something was wrong, he could feel it with every fiber of his being and if the dark presence that hung in the air was any indication, Chase was involved.

The old, slowly decaying colony house soon appeared at the end of the road and as his bike neared it Pogue could see something large and black sitting at the edge of the road. He squinted his eyes in order to see out of his helmet shield more clearly and saw that the black blob was Tyler's hummer. He pulled his bike near the open area along side it.

He didn't feel Tyler's presence anywhere near him, but he felt someone else's.

(Reid?)

He dismounted the bike and after setting his helmet down on its seat, he approached the Hummer. It was Tyler's alright but what was it doing here? Did the younger boys also feel the disturbance?

With a frown, he touched the vehicle's hood; it was cold, meaning that it had been sitting there for quite some time. He tore his eyes away from the Hummer and eyed the old house with a wary gaze. None of the lights were on, not even the one in Gorman's study, a sign that something was seriously wrong.

He gazed at the house for another moment and reached inside of his jacket and pulled the gold pendent out of its hiding spot and tucked it into the yellow bodywork of his bike. Once the item was thoroughly hidden, Pogue swallowed down a large gulp of air and started towards the house's front door. The power in the air started becoming thicker and thicker as he neared the porch and as he climbed the steps, Pogue could feel their source coming from inside the house.

(Sure as hell doesn't feel like Gorman.)

Cautiously, Pogue opened the door with his hand and stuck his head into the foyer. It was dark, like it normally was but something felt off. He closed the door as quietly as he could behind him.

"Gorman?"

When he received no answer, he took a deep breath to opened his mind and felt out the area with his powers like Gorman taught him too. At first he felt nothing so he tried harder; ignoring the slight ache starting near his temple. A quick second later a long string of emotions touched his thoughts. They were powerful and dark causing him to shiver as they brushed against his subconscious and the left side of Pogue's chest burned with the all too familiar warmth.

He barley had time acknowledged it because the sound of footsteps reached his ears and before he could open his eyes, something hard slammed into his back. The impact forced him onto a knee and after letting out a pained growl Pogue turned his head. A figure was standing in the shadows of the foyer and when it stepped into the light Pogue's breath hitched when he caught sight of blond hair; he honestly couldn't believe it.

"Reid?"

The younger boy stepped out of the shadows with a grim look on his face and slowly raised his hand.

"Sorry Pogue."

Pogue didn't have much of a moment to prepare himself as another wave slammed into his body hard, sending his body crashing against the hard floor. The impact knocked the wind out him and after emitting a pained groan, he tried to pull himself off the ground.

"Reid, what the fuck?"

The other boy's footsteps sounded in his ears once again as the younger boy moved towards him and a moment later, Reid's hand felt around the outside of his jacket. He shoved the blond away with a growl but Reid recoiled by slamming his head against the floor with a wave of his hand. Reid cursed when his fingers didn't feel anything in the leather and he rolled the long haired boy onto his back with a painful shove.

"Where is it?"

"Where's what?" Pogue coughed.

"The fucking pendent thing, where is it?"

"Why the hell do you wanna know?"

"Because I need it. I don't want to hurt you Pogue but I will if I don't get some fucking answers."

Pogue glared at Reid darkly. "I don't have it."

"Where is it then?"

"I'm not telling you."

His remark earned him a kick in the gut from the blond's foot.

"Where is it?"

Pogue emitted a deep growl as he turned his eyes black and sent a strong wave of his own power at Reid. The blond's body was thrown hard against a nearby wall and Pogue used the opportunity to crawl to his feet. Reid did the same only to find himself thrown back up against the wall and held there by Pogue's powers. Reid let out a enraged groan and struggled against the hold that pinned him to the wall but Pogue quickly threw another wave at him.

"Now that I have your attention, mind telling me why you where just trying to pound me into the floor?" Pogue asked darkly as neared the blond.

Reid stared at him and said nothing so Pogue sighed mentally and raised his hand to the blond's forehead. He sent his powers forward into Reid's mind only to have them repelled shortly after wards.

(What the fuck?)

He didn't have much time to ponder the question before Reid broke free of his bonds and in the blink of an eye, disappeared from his sight and moved behind him.

(Fuck, Reid's gotten better at that.)

A fist soon connected with his lower back and Pogue fought to keep his balance as Reid shifted around him through the shadows. Pogue's eyes frantically moved back and forth around the area, hoping he'd be able see the blond coming at him. Reid's fist came flying into his gut a quick second later but the boy was gone before Pogue could even raise his arm and a strong uppercut sent Pogue crashing against the floor once again.

"Give up?"

Pogue groaned and rolled onto his side. He could taste blood in the corner of his mouth and answered Reid's question by spiting a small glob of it on the floor.

"I told you he was a stubborn one."

Pogue felt his body freeze when Caleb's voice sounded behind him and turned his head. "You!"

Caleb entered the foyer slowly, his dark eyes raking over Pogue's injured frame smugly before looking at Reid.

"He doesn't have it." Reid said darkly.

"He doesn't? Well, that's bad luck for you then, unless you can force it out of him."

Reid's eye bore into Caleb's form for a long moment before he rounded on Pogue, slowly knelt down next to his friend.

"Pogue where is it? Don't make me hurt you anymore."

The empath glared at Caleb for a long moment before turning his eyes on the blond.

"You're working with him?"

"Pogue, just tell me where the fucking thing is–"

"You fucking moron, you don't know what he's planning–"

"It's not what you think; just tell me where the fucking pendent is!"

"No." Pogue growled dangerously. "I'll rip your damn head off, you fucking traitor."

"This is getting us nowhere!" Caleb yelled as he approached the two of them.

"I'm trying." Reid seethed.

"Well try harder. Like this."

Caleb raised his hand and flooded Pogue's body with his powers, sending intense pain waves through the empath's body. Pogue screamed as his body curled under Chase's power and after a long, intense moment Caleb lowered his hand and Pogue slumped against the floor.

"You fucker, stop hurting him!" Reid yelled as he violently shoved Caleb's shoulder.

"If you would've done it right the first time I wouldn't have to."

Reid glared at the darker haired boy for a long moment before looking back at Pogue grimly.

"Pogue, just tell him where it is. Please."

"Fuck the both of you." Pogue yelled as he pulled himself to a knee.

"Pogue please–"

Reid's words where drown out by a pained scream as Pogue threw a large ball of his power into the blond's chest, sending him across the floor a few yards away. Just to make sure he didn't get up anytime soon, Pogue threw another burst at him and the force of the blow slammed Reid's head against the floor hard enough to knock the blond unconscious.

Caleb watched the display with an impressed look. "Well, you boys just continue to surprise me."

When Pogue was convinced that Reid wouldn't be moving anytime soon he slowly and painfully crawled to his feet, using a nearby wall for support. "Why the hell are you here?"

"Looking for some answers." Caleb shrugged and held up something with his hand.

Pogue eyed the item closely and gasped mentally; it was the Book of Damnation!

"Answers to what? Why the fuck do you have that?"

"What this, you can have it back." Caleb replied as he tossed the heavy book on the floor. "I got what I needed...well almost."

He eyed Pogue darkly and took a few steps closer and Pogue instinctively took a few back and drew himself upright, despite the pain coursing through his body. Just as he took a few more steps back, Caleb raised his hand and sent a large bolt of power into Pogue's chest and before the long haired boy could fight back, his body was forcefully pulled forwards until he was an inch away from Caleb's chest. The taller boy's hand immediately came around his throat a moment later and tightly closed around his windpipe.

"Since I have you here, mind telling me where the talisman is? And don't even think about telling me to fuck off again."

He tightened his grip around the boy's throat as he finished, just to make his point. Pogue fought for a few gulps of air as he tugged at Caleb's strong fingers, trying to break the hold around his neck.

"Fine, I'll rip it out of you if I have too." Caleb growled and placed his free hand against Pogue's forehead.

The empath didn't have much of a chance to protect himself as Chase's powers forced their way into his mind once again and started tearing through his memories. Pogue shrieked from the burning pain Chase was causing to his head and fought to keep his mind blank. His efforts earned him a frustrated growl from Caleb's lips and seeing his opportunity Pogue summoned his energy and leveled his hand near Caleb's face.

(Take this you son of a bitch.)

Using all of his anger, frustration and hatred -at both himself and Chase - as momentum, Pogue gathered a large amount of his powers and sent them spiraling at the dark haired boy's face. Within mere seconds, Caleb gave a bone curling scream and instantly released his grip on Pogue's throat.

The empath fell to the ground, gasping heavily as he crawled to his knees. Caleb was sagging forwards with his hands covering his face and after a long period of painful groans and curses, he removed his hands and Pogue saw that his fingers were covered with blood. Three large scratches covered the pale skin of Caleb's face, one of them even cut through his left eye, and the older boy's eyes kept darting back and forth from his blood covered fingers to Pogue's surprised face.

The surprise only lasted a moment before Caleb's eyes narrowed. "So there is some fight in you."

"Try that again and I'll show you more you." Pogue groaned and shakily pulled himself to his feet once again.

Caleb answered by forming a large power ball in his left hand and threw it Pogue, growling loudly when the long haired teen rolled out of the way at the last second. A large ball of Pogue's power flew into his chest a quick second later and the forced knocked him off balance.

Pogue rolled near the wall right as Caleb raised his arm to strike back and sent another wave of power crashing into the older boy's chest. He was honestly surprised at how well he was doing because he never lasted this long against Chase. As a matter of a fact, Chase seamed slower then usual and the moment Pogue opened his mind to feel the area he realized he could track the older boy's movements. Something in the depths of his mind signaled that Caleb was raising his arm again and Pogue quickly countered with a blow that sent the bastard falling to the floor. Pogue hauled himself to his feet quickly afterwards and slowly limped over towards Caleb's fallen body. He was about halfway there when a powerful forced grabbed him and kept him rooted to the spot.

"Pogue don't."

Upon hearing Gorman's voice behind him, Pogue turned his head and saw the elder sagging heavily against the open doorway at the end of the long hall. His clothing was rumpled, his lip was split and several long, gashes decorated the elder's arms, along with a few on his leg. The sight only angered Pogue more and with a deep growl, he broke Gorman's hold and stormed over towards Caleb.

He slammed Caleb's head against the floor when the boy tried to pick himself up and Pogue sent a few more powerful stabs of power into the fucker before Gorman's powers grabbed him once again and pulled him back.

"Pogue stop!"

"Stay the fuck out of it Gorman! I'm ending this." He yelled over his shoulder and broke free from Gorman's grip.

His anger was at an all time high between Chase's appearance and Reid's betrayal, at the moment Pogue wanted nothing more then to rip them both limb from limb. He raised his hand over Caleb's body and forced his powers downwards, thoroughly enjoying the pained screams that reached his ears.

(How's that feel you son of a bitch?)

Just as he was enjoying his moment of revenge is was shattered when Gorman forcefully jabbed at his subconscious with his powers and a deep scream tore from Pogue's throat as the elder's powers twisted, pulled and stabbed at his mind. The sensation was horrible, almost like someone was jabbing a railroad spike into the side of his head.

Tears soon clouded his eyes and he fell to his knees, clutching his head. Through his hazy and pained filled vision, he could Caleb slowly crawling to his feet and the boy completely disappeared from his sight a moment later. The attack on his mind soon ceased as Gorman pulled his powers away and Pogue crumpled to the floor almost instantly.

The last thing he remembered seeing was Gorman slowly staggering over to him and the elder's stern face was the last thing he remembered seeing before he blacked out.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

With a dry groan, Pogue slowly felt consciousness return to him and the thick black fog soon faded from his mind. A raging headache soon replaced the fading darkness and when the pressure lessened, Pogue opened his eyes and waited for them to focus on his surroundings.

At first all he could see was a blinding orange light emitting from somewhere near his right, and when the grogginess faded he was able to see it was pouring in from a window and flooding the room he was in with its color.

With a tremendous amount of effort he forced himself to sit up, ignoring the pain in his head as he did so. His fingers felt cushions under him and he was somewhat surprised to see himself sitting on an old four-poster bed. Someone else was in the room with him, he could hear light breathing to his right and when he moved his head towards the source he saw a second bed in the room with an unconscious form sprawled out on it.

A growl grew inside his throat when he recognized the sleeping figure as Reid. With a cold glare aimed at the other boy's face, Pogue slid to edge of his bed and pushed himself onto his feet. He swayed heavily as the room danced around his eyes and he collapsed to his knees a moment later with a pained whimper.

His head felt like it was being torn apart at the seams, he could still feel traces of Gorman's powers rattling around in his skull. He could hear a set of footsteps walking down the hall and the sound was magnified painfully inside head as they entered the room. Thin nimble fingers were placed on his shoulders a quick second later and Gorman's voice soon reached his ears.

"Easy, easy. It'll pass in due time."

His fingers rubbed Pogue's shaking shoulders gently, hoping the gesture would help ground the boy and settle his mind.

"Fuck, what'd you do to me?" Pogue groaned and slumped forwards, lowering his arms to the floor and burring his head into them.

"What I had to. You severely injured two of my god children and if I hadn't intervened you would've killed one of them." The elder replied coldly.

Pogue merely groaned as a response let his entire body slump to the floor as the room spun around his eyes. Whatever the elder did to him it left his mind a painful mess, he could still feel small traces of the elder's power pulsing around his subconscious. He heard Gorman's footsteps move over towards the other bed.

"Well, I hope you're proud of yourself because those are some serious injuries you gave him." Gorman sighed as he ran his thin fingers across the side of Reid's head.

"Reid deserved it." The empath grumbled darkly.

"I don't doubt that but you went too far. I didn't raise you to slaughter your own covenant."

"Well what the fuck was I suppose to do? Reid sold us out to that fucker and Chase–"

"I'm well aware of what happened, Pogue. I was in the next room after all."

The pressure inside his head lessened enough for Pogue to open his eyes and he gingerly pulled himself to his knees, leaning against the railing of the bed for support. His mind however was still a chaotic mess, he couldn't even feel anything coming from Gorman or Reid; it was like his empathic powers were completely gone. He tried reaching out into the air around him and felt his panic rise when he couldn't feel anything. Gorman must've sensed his panic because the elder shuffled across the room a moment later.

"Let's get you off the floor."

"I can't feel anything..." Pogue mumbled helplessly.

"I know." Gorman replied softly and moved an arm under Pogue's shoulder.

The elder pulled him upright and maneuvered the wounded empath back onto the bed. Pogue didn't protest and numbly let himself sink back into the soft bedding. He felt a blanket being pulled over him and he silently curled in on himself, both mentally and physically.

"Get some rest." The elder whispered gently and gave his godchild's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he moved to the other side of the room.

Pogue listened as his footsteps grew softer and pulled the blanket over his head a moment later as his eyes threatened to drift closed.

--

(He should've been back by now.)

Tyler glanced at the alarm clock near his bed and sighed; 4pm. Reid left sometime in the early morning hours – he wasn't anywhere near awake enough to check the time – and since then the younger covenant member had been waiting for him to return.

(No such luck yet.)

He curled his knees close to his chest and lowered his head against them, his blue eyes remaining on the door of the dorm room. Where was Reid? His absence was really starting to bother him, even more then his behavior over the past few days but what really upset him was the blond's complete silence about it.

It was obvious something was wrong but as usual, no one ever said anything to him or wanted his help. Reid didn't even want his help apparently, and that thought alone hurt more then anything else did.

He glanced at the clock once again and with a frustrated sigh, slid off the edge of his bed and moved towards his dresser. Sitting around on his ass waiting for Reid to return wasn't going to do any good. He still had traces of sweat and dried cum still sticking to his skin from the previous night so he decided a shower was wise choice at the moment. After gathering up some clean clothes and a towel he left the room and padded down the empty hallway towards the showers. The hallway was empty and the heavy silence fallowed him into the bathroom as he sat his stuff down on one of the benches.

He stripped out of what little clothing he was wearing, shivering slightly from the slight chill that lingered inside the room and moved towards one of the showerheads near the room's rear. With a twist of a switch, hot water started pelting out of the showerhead and flowing down his cold body in warm rivers.

Tyler groaned from the relieving sensation and tilted his head back as the warm spray engulfed his body. He winced as he turned, still feeling sore from the previous night and a quick rub of his finger with his powers took care of most of it. A frown came to his face when he noticed a slight smudge of blood on his fingers as he drew his hand away. A tiny part of him wasn't surprised by the sight and he quietly washed it off in the running water.

He checked himself once more to be sure he wasn't bleeding anywhere else before he set to work scrubbing all of the sweat, grime and other stuff clinging to his skin. His thin fingers roamed, prodded and caressed his skin with thick layers of soap and in mere moments, his skin retained its natural pale glow.

As he worked his fingers through his hair the lighting in the room brightened immensely and then with a loud cracking sound the room was cast in a slight darkness. Tyler snapped his head up when he heard the sound and scanned his eyes across the room. The main light source was gone but the room wasn't in complete darkness; he could see the outline of the benches and the bathroom stalls. His eyes lingered over the dark shadows in the room and after a moment he moved his head back towards the heavy spray of water and dunked his head under the running water once again.

He didn't even notice the pair of cold eyes that watched him from the darkness in the far corner of the room.

--

"How's your head feeling?"

"Still hurts." Pogue mumbled numbly as Gorman's thin fingers lightly traced the side of his head.

The elder's lips narrowed from his response. A short moment later Pogue could felt a gentle warmth flowing from Gorman's narrow hand to the side of his head. He groaned as the warmth burrowed into his skull but despite the comforting feeling it didn't feel like it was doing much heal-wise.

Gorman withdrew his hand a moment later and gazed at him concerned. "Any better?"

"No, still hurts."

With a soft curse, Gorman straightened himself up and eyed the boy clearly. "I didn't use that much force on you; your mind shouldn't be reacting like this."

"Why'd you do it then?" Pogue barked as the throbbing inside his head increased. "Fuck... it's getting worse."

The pain had reached an unbearable level thanks to Gorman's attempts of trying to heal him and Pogue begin to fear that his skull would split in half from it. He tried to lie back down on the bed he was still sitting on but Gorman grabbed his shoulder.

"No Pogue, you need to stay awake. Stay up-right or it'll get worse."

"Jesus Christ, just shoot me and get it over with."

With that, Pogue drew his knees close to his chest and buried his head against them with a pained moan. He really wished the elder would stop talking because the sound was making his head hurt. His fingers tugged and pulled at his hair in time with the throbbing of his head and before he could pull a large amount out, Gorman grabbed his hands and pulled them away.

"You're going to hurt yourself if you don't stop–"

"I'm already hurting. Why won't it go away?"

"It will in time, just give it a mom–"

Gorman cut off as a jolt of power jabbed at his chest and pushed him a short ways away from Pogue's bed. With a startled gasp, the elder righted himself and gazed at Pogue's shaking shoulders confused.

"Pogue?"

The empath didn't say anything but emitted a loud groan as he curled his limbs tighter around himself. Just as he did so, Gorman saw a pale, blue light gather around Pogue's trembling shoulders – it's source coming from the boy himself – and just as the elder took a cautionary step towards the bed he found himself unable to because a strong force of Pogue's powers prevented it.

"Pogue!"

His call went unanswered as Pogue curled into a tighter ball and his moans of pain became louder and eventually turned into bone curling screams that sent the elder into a panicked raged because he wasn't physically able to reach his godchild.

"Pogue!"

The blue light grew brighter and brighter and Gorman, fearing that he would go blind from it, covered his eyes with his hand as Pogue's screams lowered in volume. After what felt like many moments, the bright light soon dimmed and when he felt it was safe enough to do so, Gorman lowered his arm.

His eyes immediately searched for Pogue and found him strewn across the bed. He moved closer, cautiously feeling the air around him for any traces of the mysterious power he just witnessed and dropped to Pogue's side. The boy was still breathing and his eyes were open but they seemed unfocused, meaning Pogue was unconscious once again. As he turned the empath's head he discovered Pogue's eyes were glowing with the same pale blue color as the light that filled the room moments ago and all of their natural color seamed to fade as he stared into them.

After glancing over at Reid's bed and seeing that somehow the other boy was still asleep, he rolled Pogue onto his back noticing a few spots in the bedding were burnt to a black core and there was even scorch marks on the wall behind them. He glanced back down at Pogue and with a shaking hand; he gently slid the boy's eyes closed with his hand.

(What in god's name is going on?)

--

Tyler shivered as he finished tying up the front strings of his track pants and immediately slid his shirt over his shoulders a moment later. Ever since the lights went out the cold air in the room seamed to thicken to an unbearable level and he was glad to have the last bit of his clothing on to keep it at bay.

He retrieved his towel from where he set it on the bench and rubbed his wet hair as he exited the dark room. The hall outside was also just as dark as the bathroom but Tyler didn't pay much attention to it as he headed towards his dorm room.

The door was unlocked, just as he left it and he couldn't help but feel disappointed when he pushed the door open and saw that the room was empty. His eyes were immediately draw towards the night stand when he noticed light and he saw the lamp near his bed was turned on, filling the room with a soft gold glow.

With a frown he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, eyeing the lamp the entire time. He didn't remember turning it on before he left and he glanced over at his desk when he caught sight of something small and shiny. His keys were sitting in their usual spot on his desk and relief fluttered inside of his chest.

"Reid?"

A pair of strong arms grabbed him from behind and a large calloused hand slammed over his mouth a quick second later.

"Hello baby boy." Came the dark purr against his neck.


	30. Chapter 30

This one is a bit short, I guess you can say 29 was part A and this is part B (I don't normally split chapters up like that because it seriously knocks me off balance so humor me please). Happy reading!

**Chapter 30**

"Hello, baby boy."

Tyler felt the blood run cold inside his veins and he couldn't stop the frightened whimper that emitted from his covered mouth when he recognized the deep voice of the person behind him.

He struggled against Caleb's grip but the older boy merely chuckled and tightened his arms as he dragged the youngest covenant member to the center of the room. Tyler fought the entire way, kicking and wiggling. He managed to land a few kicks into Caleb's leg, making the taller boy swear painfully as he threw the boy onto one of the beds roughly. Tyler let out a grunt and tried to roll over and defend himself with his powers but Caleb's hand slammed down on his throat the instant the Tyler's blue eyes turned black.

"I've already had my ass kicked today, thank you." The older boy growled dangerously as he loomed over him.

As he moved into the lighting Tyler finally got a clear look at Caleb's face, feeling his body freeze when he saw the large scratches across the older boy's face. The fingers that were wrapped around his throat had large stains of dried blood on them and from the way Caleb was slouched over, it was obvious he was seriously injured. The sight turned blurry a moment later and the light in the room where starting to fade out until Caleb loosened his grip enough for air to enter his throat.

Caleb seamed to enjoy watching the younger suffer and leaned over him with a cruel smile. "Aw, come on, baby boy, you can do it. Use your powers."

A chocked gasp emitted from Tyler's mouth as he tried to remove the hand wrapped dangerously tight around his throat but he couldn't pry the steely fingers from his neck no matter how hard he tried.

"What a shame." Caleb pretended to sigh as he reached down and grabbed Tyler's hand.

More struggling came from the younger boy as his hand was pulled upwards but it stopped a moment later when Tyler felt the familiar warmth travel up his arm. He looked at the tips of his fingers, they were glowing red even though he wasn't summoning his healing abilities and when moved his eyes towards Caleb he saw the other boy's eyes were black; Caleb was controlling his powers!

He could only watch as Caleb raised his hand to his scarred face and ran the younger boy's fingertips along the scratches. They faded into his skin almost instantly from Tyler's touch, despite the boy silently willing his powers to halt, but his strength was quickly dropping. After a few seconds, the scars were completely gone from Caleb's face.

When he was finished, the older boy released his grip on Tyler's hand and watched as the limb fell to the bed with a soft thud. The youngest covenant member was beyond exhausted from having all of his energy burned out of him and Caleb removed the hand around his throat.

"Now that's a handy little gift you have there." He mused and leaned over him once again. "Tell me, does it stop the aging?"

He wasn't expecting an answer so it wasn't much a surprise when all he received was a soft moan as Tyler's eyes drifted closed. Chase just smiled and rose to his full height. No doubt the boy would be out cold for a few hours so he might as well make himself comfortable.

After all, with Pogue and Reid both wounded and that old man was too frail to leave his house, he had all time in the world. Plus, Tyler's gift would be well worth the wait.

--

Pogue felt his eyes open and it took a few moments for all of his nerves to catch up with him. The room was spinning around his eyes and a slight burning pain had settled near the side of his head.

When he regained his senses, Pogue forced himself to sit upright. A moan came from his mouth as the spinning inside his head caused his stomach to turn and he rolled his feet to the floor before the sensation could make him vomit. The pain in his head eventually dulled as did the turning in his stomach, and he felt well enough to raise his head.

He was still inside the small bedroom Gorman had placed him in earlier and when he turned his head, he saw the other bed was still occupied by Reid but something else quickly grabbed his attention. The walls and even a few areas of the bed he was sitting on had large black spots burned into its surface.

Pogue frowned and raked his brain for answers but found none. He remembered waking up a few short hours before, feeling sick and light headed but nothing else. Did he pass out again? Confused, he inched to the edge of the bed and gingerly slid off, hoping his legs would support his full weight.

They did, and despite a slight dizziness, Pogue was able to stand upright without feeling weak and, as his head cleared he was able to feel the emotions and presence in the air around him. Relief swelled inside of his chest and he sighed happily. Even though he normally hated his powers, he couldn't deny the fact that he felt empty without them.

Another thought then entered his mind; Chase. He used his powers to feel out the house and dropped his shoulders in relief when he didn't feel Chase in the air anywhere. But he tensed up after a moment and speed from the room.

(The pendent!)

The wooden floors of the colony house groaned and creaked loudly as he dashed down the hall and through the foyer. After using his powers to throw the door open, he jumped down the short stairs and paused when he saw his bike sitting outside the gate, right where he left it. Tyler's Hummer was gone but Pogue didn't let himself be bothered by it as he dashed over towards his bike and dropped to his knees near its side. His hand shook as he raised it near the bike's flank and his fingers started feeling under the bodywork, hoping they'd bump into something small and round.

(Please let it be here.)

His heart leaped when his hand found the long gold chain he hurriedly closed his hand around it and pulled the small gold pendent out from where he hid it. Its surface glittered in the mid-afternoon light as he held it in his hand and after a quick moment – fearing that Chase was still in the area – he tucked it into his pant's pocket and started towards the house.

He made sure he double locked the front door after him, even though he knew that little scrap of metal wasn't going to prevent Chase from entering the house once again, and leaned against the wooden frame for a moment, letting the hard wood support him.

The air around him wasn't spinning anymore but he still felt weak so he used the moment to let himself rest. While he was tempted to crawl back onto the bed and sleep for more then a year he dismissed the thought. The more time he wasted the stronger Chase grew and the more Caleb suffered. The instant he mentioned Caleb's name, memories begin stirring inside of his head and images of himself and the older boy fighting replayed themselves behind his eyes. His stomach lurched when he remembered the bone-curling scream Caleb emitted when Pogue's powers cut into his face and it wasn't long before he felt his throat tighten.

He'd wounded Caleb; he hurt his best friend **again**. What had Caleb done to deserve the hell he was currently trapped in? Was there even a way to free him? Was there even a way to kill Chase without Caleb dying?

His mind cried out for answers but he couldn't find any. He knew nothing about the ritual thingy Chase was trying to do, The Ritual of Blood – it took a moment for him to even remember the fucking thing's name– or even if the fucking thing even worked.

A thought occurred to him just at that moment. He didn't know anything about the ritual by maybe some of his ancestors did. He rose to his feet and walked through the foyer towards the rear of the house in search of the entrance to lower level of the house where the Book of Damnation and other early records of their history laid.

He caught a glimpse of himself in the cracked mirror Gorman kept near the staircase and slowed to a stop when he glanced at his appearance.

(What the fuck?)

At first, he almost didn't recognize himself; he looked like he'd aged a few years. The skin around his face was tighter and the tips of his hair were a few shades lighter but the sight that bothered him the most was his eyes for they weren't his normal green color, they were an eerie pale blue shade.

The change to his face was more then enough to frighten and enrage him – who the hell had the right to change his appearance but himself – Pogue forced the matter to the back of his mind. He had more important things to do then bitch about his looks. He turned towards the stairs and shuffled down them, ignoring the heavy chill that always seamed to linger inside this dark room. The stairs turned from wood to heavy stone as he treaded downwards.

The candles lit with a quick flash of his eyes, even though he was reluctant to use his powers after the change to his body- and the dark stoned walls echoed with a bronze glow. Pogue lingered at the bottom of the stairs for a moment, letting his eyes slowly run across the room.

The last time he was in this room was the night Caleb told them all about Chase and he hadn't set one foot inside its cold depths since that terrible night. The heavy chill slowly sank into his skin and Pogue shivered slightly and wrapped his arms around his chest tightly as he made his way over towards the dusty bookshelves.

(There has to be some answers here somewhere...)

--

Tyler's eyes rolled under his closed eyelids and opened a short time later. His dorm room soon came into focus around him and, feeling groggy, he tried to raise a hand to his eyes but his arms wouldn't move for some reason.

His eyes sharpened enough for him to realize he was on the floor by his bed and when he raised his head, he saw his hands were lying near his stomach and bound with a thick cord. He shifted his arms and tried to slide his wrists out from the cord's grasp but it was wound too tightly.

"Oh good, you're awake."

Tyler froze when he heard Caleb's voice once again and turned his head in the direction it came from. The older boy was sitting on Reid's bed, his dark eyes watching his every move closely as Tyler struggled to sit up.

"What do you want Chase?"

Caleb eyed him for a long moment before he shrugged lazily. "You'll find out soon enough."

Tyler glared at him as he sat up and leaned against the bed behind him.

"Where's Reid?"

"Not here." Caleb replied somewhat amused. "I wouldn't be too worried about him if I were you though."

The youngest covenant member didn't like that answer much and drew his knees close as the older boy kept staring at him darkly. Caleb watched with amusement and silently slid off the bed and crawled towards him.

"You know, you have a very special gift, Tyler." Caleb purred as he raised a hand to the younger boy's face. "Very special."

Tyler flinched from the contact and tried to wiggle away but he was held in place by the other's grip. "What do you want?"

Caleb's lips curved into a dark smile. "Your powers."

Fear settled heavily inside of Tyler's gut and he hastily moved away from the other boy. Caleb watched him with a grin and got to his feet a moment later. His dark eyes moved about the room and settled on a picture frame on Tyler's desk. Intrigued, he approached the desk and eyed the picture nestled in the silver frame.

"How quaint... you four look so happy together."

Tyler remained quiet and kept his eyes focused on the far wall. It was obvious the boy was frightened, Chase could tell that much without being an empath and he relished being the source of Tyler's fear; it made his chore of getting the boy's powers much easier. Maybe Tyler's share would even be strong enough to silence William once and for all. He was really growing tired of the old man interfering all the time; sometimes controlling Caleb wasn't even worth the trouble of putting up with that annoying old man.

With a smile, Chase set the picture back on the desk and turned his attention back towards the youngest covenant member.

"Now baby-boy, we can do this the easy way...or the _hard_ way."

Tyler didn't look at him for the longest time and when he did turn his head, he didn't say anything. Chase merely shrugged and sighed.

"The hard way it is."


	31. Chapter 31

I am never doing a chapter this long or action filled AGAIN! Seriously, this thing really did a number on me.

**Chapter 31**

Pogue grumbled as he slammed the book in front of him closed and shoved it to the edge of the old cracked table with the rest of the non-helpful pile. There wasn't a clock or anything down here so there was no way for him to tell what time it was but from a guess, he assumed it had been a few hours.

He pulled another heavy leather bound book towards him and opened it, his eyes closely skimming the thin, scratchy words. While it's pages described a few of the early rituals his ancestors practiced, there was nothing about the one he was looking for so he closed the book and shoved it down the table with the others.

(None of these are getting me anywhere.)

With an exhausted yawn, Pogue rubbed his eyes and leaned back in his hard chair. He was feeling beyond tired and honestly thought if he picked up another book he'd throw it across the room but he knew he had to keep looking; Caleb needed him too.

After rubbing his eyes with one hand, Pogue blindly grabbed another thick book and opened its pages. Dust spewed into the air as it was opened, making him cough slightly as the pages settled and Pogue let the old parchment breath for a moment before letting his eyes roam across the lettering. The first few chapters were nothing of importance so he numbly turned the pages of the book until his fingers bushed across a bent corner. At first, he didn't put too much thought into it but then his eyes glanced at the title of the chapter and his eyebrows curved into a frown.

_Chapter 13, the Chamber of Shadows_

A rough picture was sketched into the space under the title and Pogue couldn't help the chill that ran up his back. The drawing was of an open stonewalled room held together by large pillars. Even though it was just a rough black and white sketch, Pogue knew exactly what he was looking at; it was the room he'd been dreaming about. He re-read the title a few more times and a dark feeling settled inside of his stomach. He knew he'd never heard that name before but there was no mistaking that drawing. Intrigued, he skimmed downwards towards the faded writing, reading the scratchy words slowly.

_A place thought not to exist in the material plane, The Chamber of Shadows served as a gateway between life and death. Its walls are stained with blood and tainted with the remaining souls of the innocent who are forever trapped within its realm. Its unknown wither the room was constructed by the early settlers of Ipswich or by–_

The rest of the letters were completely faded and unreadable, making Pogue grumble a few words angrily. He turned the page and his eyes saw a small piece of paper wedged in-between the book's pages, near its spine. His fingers acted on their own accord, pulled the paper out of its hiding spot, and carefully unfolded it.

_Roran_

_Here's the damn place you wanted me to look up. I still think this shit is beyond weird, does Gavin even know you're messing with this junk? This stuff gives me the creeps, Anyway this book should tell you what you need even though you wouldn't bother telling me what it was you were actually looking for. Happy reading and whatever._

_Gabriel._

Pogue read the letter a few more times before he set it down on the table. He didn't recognize the handwriting but the three names, Roran, Gavin, and Gabriel were familiar to him.

(Must've been members of my grandfather's covenant. Glad to know I wasn't the only one researching this junk.)

He bit on his lower lip slightly and folded the letter back up. The muscles inside his stomach were starting to coil tight as he thought about his grandfather. He had few memories of the elder Parry before his mysterious disappearance but he knew for a fact that his grandfather never mentioned that weird place or anything else tying to it. But then again, according to the letter, Roran was the one looking for it.

(Tyler's grandfather was named Roran. This shit just keeps rolling down hill.)

A pair of light footsteps echoed on the stone stairs and the air was filled with Gorman's powerful presence. Pogue quickly stuffed the letter back into the book and closed it just as the elder appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

His sharp eyes rounded on Pogue almost instantly. "You're awake, I see."

"Yeah." Pogue mumbled blankly.

The elder crossed the room, his cane kicking up small puffs of dust as it struck the hard stone floor, and he paused as near the table, his eyes immediately locking onto Pogue's face.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Pogue shrugged, slightly uncomfortable under Gorman's eyes.

The elder continued staring at him and after a moment he lightly grasped Pogue's chin and tilted the boy's head to the side in order to see him better.

"Yeah, I know, I look different." Pogue mumbled as he pushed Gorman's hand away. "Any idea why?"

The elder sighed and shook his head. "I haven't a clue; I've never seen anything like this. All my powers did was stun you."

Pogue groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Terrific."

Gorman's face remained stony as he eyed his godchild.

"Reid's awake now, in case you were wondering."

"Good, now I can kill him for stabbing me in the back."

"You should listen to his reasons for doing so before you pass judgment." The elder warned.

"Whatever. He still helped Chase– Mmh!" Pogue yelped as the side of his head burned slightly.

Gorman's eyebrows rose. "What is it?"

"Headache." Pogue grumbled, as he rubbed the side of his head. "Damn it's getting worse."

The teen moaned as the burning feeling spread throughout his entire skull and through the haze, a strong presence brushed against his subconscious.

_Pogue can you hear me?_

Pogue recognized the voice almost instantly.

(William?)

_You need to get back to your school. Tyler's in trouble._

Pogue's breath hitched slightly.

(Wait, what?)

_NOW! _

William practically screamed the word into his mind and his presence retreated a moment later, leaving Pogue with a rolling headache.

"Pogue, what is it?" Gorman asked, his face showing heavy confusion as he watched his godchild clutch his head with his hands.

"Tyler's in trouble." The empath growled as he pushed himself out of his seat and dashed to the stairs.

Gorman shouted something behind him but Pogue was too far up the stairs to hear it. He could hear the elder trailing behind him, his old body moving as fast as it could go and the teen was forced to a stop when he heard his name called out.

"Pogue, hold your horses for a moment. What's going on?" Gorman hobbled into the hall, panting heavily. "You can't make me run like that boy."

Pogue caught his breath turned towards the elder. "Tyler's in trouble or something. Don't ask me to explain it, he just is."

"What?"

The hall echoed with the sound of Reid's voice and the blond appeared in a doorway before the blink of an eye. Pogue immediately glared at the younger boy's head, his pale blue eyes startling the blond momentarily before he found his voice again.

"What about Tyler?"

"He's in trouble apparently; at least that's what Pogue thinks." Gorman answered, his eyes moving back and forth between the two boys.

Reid's blue eyes narrowed and he lowered his head shamefully. "Fuck. I gotta find him."

"You're not going anywhere in your condition, either one of you." Gorman barked, causing both boy's to growl loudly.

"What? Gorman this is bullshit! Chase is going to go after him because of me."

Pogue tightened his fists. "Then why'd you agree to help in the first place, you moron?"

"I didn't have a choice; he was going to hurt Tyler!" Reid yelled furiously.

Every one of them drew silent from the blond's words. Pogue's eyes narrowed dangerously, he honestly didn't know who he was angry with, Reid, Chase or himself, but he really didn't care. Before he could say anything, he felt William's presence brush against his mind once again.

_What the devil is taking you so long! _The elder growled.

(Nothing, I'm on my way.)

_Hurry damn it! _

(I'm coming!)

William's voice faded out but Pogue could still feel the elder Danvers still lingering around his subconscious. Pushing the matter to the back of his mind, Pogue cleared his throat.

"You two can sit around here arguing all fucking day but I'm not wasting anymore time."

Gorman and Reid went silent as Pogue turned and headed towards the front door before either of them could say a word. The door flew open at his command, the wood almost cracking from the force of his powers. Footsteps echoed in the house behind him and followed him across the porch and down the stairs. The empath tried to ignore the footsteps but they followed him all the way to his bike and he didn't need his powers to tell him it was Reid.

"Go back to the house, Reid."

"Go to hell." Reid snapped back as he followed the empath down the dirt driveway.

Pogue slowed to a stop near his bike and patted his jeans for his keys. Thankfully, they were still in his pocket and with a relieved sigh he pulled them out. He was about to climb on his Ducati when he noticed Reid standing a few feet away.

"Reid."

The blond gave him an annoyed look. "Yes?"

"I said go back to the house."

"And I said go to hell. Tyler's in trouble because of me. You think I'm just gonna sit here while that son of a bitch puts his hands on him?"

Reid's anger flooded through Pogue's mind along with frustration and helplessness but never the less, he cleared his mind and made his face as stern as he could.

"Fine. But if you stab me in the back again I'll tear your head off and not even Gorman will be able to stop me."

The blond didn't back down, instead Reid drew himself to his full height and tightened his fists. "Fine."

--

"Say it!" Caleb growled. "Say the fucking words!"

A pained groan eased from Tyler's split lips as Chase's fist once again sent him crashing to the floor. The youngest covenant member didn't make any other sound as he gingerly tried to pull himself off the floor. The feat was difficult due to the fact that his arms were still bound by a thick cord but he managed to crawl to a knee.

Caleb's footsteps circled him and the older boy sighed loudly.

"You're just as bad as the rest of your covenant. Caleb sure as hell gave me a run for my money and Pogue and Reid have tons of fight in them but I honestly didn't expect this much hassle from you. I'm actually amazed."

"You don't know me very well then." Tyler mumbled shakily as he lightly touched a finger to his busted lip.

"Apparently I don't, otherwise I would've set my sights on your powers a lot sooner." Caleb snorted and crouched down near Tyler's face.

Tyler winced as Caleb grabbed a lock of his hair and pulled his head back roughly. "Come on baby boy, we can end this real easy."

Tyler's blue eyes glared at Caleb's face for a long time, hardly recognizing the man that crouched in front of him. He'd always admired Caleb; the older boy always took care of the three of them ever since they were kids. Caleb was the reason Pogue stayed in school after both of his parents died and he was also the only reason Reid hadn't run his life into the ground by over-using. Caleb loved them all, that's what made the sight sitting in front of him even more difficult to look at.

Tyler turned his head away from the other boy's face. "No."

Caleb's brown eyes narrowed with rage and his fist once again slammed into Tyler's jaw hard. The impact sent the younger teen to the hard wood floor once again, except Caleb didn't even bother pulling him back up.

"Fine. Have it your way then." Caleb growled darkly and kicked Tyler's stomach painfully with his foot. "It's not like I'm getting tired or anything. You'll crack eventually."

Tyler didn't give any reply. He thought about Reid, picturing the blond's face in his mind and letting the image keep him strong. Part of him was crying out for the blond to come and save him but that hope was growing thinner the longer this hell dragged on; Reid probably had no idea he was in trouble.

Heavy footsteps rounded on him again but Tyler didn't even move his eyes until a wave of Caleb's powers rolled him onto his back roughly and he had no choice but to glare up at the older boy.

"You know what the words are; you can end this without it getting anymore messy. Think of Reid, you'd be saving his life."

The mention of the Reid's name had caused a silent gasp to ease from Tyler's mouth but the younger boy closed his eyes tightly afterwards and swallowed. "No."

Caleb roared furiously and raised his hand. "I'll fucking rip it out of you if I have to!"

Tyler turned his head away and braced himself for the hit but it never came. He fearfully opened his eyes and saw Caleb's own dark eyes glaring at his raised arm, which seamed to be frozen in the air.

"I was wondering were you went, you've got some balls trying to stop me now." Caleb mumbled into thin air.

Tyler gave a confused blink, wondering who the hell Caleb was talking to and his question was answered a short time latter as a deep voice rumbled inside the room.

_You little bastard, I'll rip you apart for this!_

The voice was dark and seamed to resonate from Caleb's body but he could hear it inside of his head, making the hairs on his arm stand up as it vibrated through the dorm room

Caleb rolled his eyes and lowered his arm. "Talk all you want William, that's all you ever do."

_I'll do a hell of a lot more then talk this time! I'd run if I were you._

"Whatever old man, you know you can't hurt me."

The room vibrated once again but this time the voice seamed to be laughing.

_True, I can't harm you in this state. But someone else can and he's on his way._

Caleb's body grew stiff and Tyler saw his eyes narrow once again.

"Whatever." Caleb snorted but his head jerked up a moment later, as if he heard something.

His brown eyes moved towards the wall of the dorm room and then turned black. For a long time, the older teen stayed perfectly still, his eyes never leaving the wall.

"Fuck." He groaned loudly and turned his attention back towards Tyler.

The blue-eyed boy was still lying on the floor looking up at him. With a dangerous glint in his eyes, Caleb moved towards the wounded teen and pulled him painfully upright by his shoulder.

"Pogue's here, along with your little fuck buddy." He whispered darkly in Tyler's ear as he pulled the boy towards the small bathroom. "This should be interesting."

--

The left side of Pogue's chest fluttered with the unusual warmth but the empath didn't pay it much attention. His eyes were focused intently on the road in front of him and he didn't dare look away as the yellow Ducati screamed down it.

Reid's arms tightened around his stomach as the bike changed gears and sped up, his head pressed firmly against Pogue's back to keep the wind out of his eyes as they turned off of the highway towards the road leading to Spencer's campus. Luckily, the road was nearly deserted because of the holiday season so Pogue didn't even bother slowing down or parking in the student garages. Instead, he directed the bike towards the sidewalk and pulled back on the handles in order for the machine to jump the small curb and pull it's self onto the cement.

"Jesus Christ, are you fucking nuts?" Reid wailed against his back as he struggled to hold on and not fall of the rear.

Pogue's only answer was a swift twist of the throttle as the Ducati raced across the grey stone of Spencer's pavement. When they neared the building that housed Reid and Tyler's dorm, Pogue pulled heavily on the bike cable and centered his weight forwards in order for the bike to slid to a stop on it's front tire. A screeching sound echoed loudly in the air as the bike halted and fell back on its back tire and both boys let lose the breath they were holding.

"Remind me to never ride with you again." Reid groaned as he slid off the bike.

"We're here aren't we?" Pogue replied as he undid his helmet and dismounted his bike.

"Yeah, but I think my stomach is back on the road somewhere." The blond coughed loudly as his stomach turned but it turned into a loud gasp a quick second later. "Fuck."

Pogue frowned when he heard it. "What's wrong?"

Reid shakily held a hand to his chest, near his heart and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Tyler, he's– he's hurt or something. Fuck, that asshole has him!" The blond shouted and bolted up the stone steps, towards the building.

Pogue immediately took off after him. "Reid!"

The inside of the building was just as empty as the campus without a single trace of light on the first floor. Reid slid to a stop in the lobby near the elevators and Pogue caught up with him a moment later.

The older of the two tapped the call button impatiently a few times before he cursed. "Damn, it's not working."

"Fuck the elevator!" Reid growled and headed towards the stairs.

Pogue fallowed with a groan and together both boys bounded up the flights of stairs until they reached the floor the dorm was on. Reid used his powers to slam the stairwell door open and both teens sprang into the dark hall.

Before Reid had the chance to get away from him, Pogue grabbed the boy's shoulder and signalled for him to wait while he felt out the area with his powers. Reid's frustration clouded his mind at first and made it hard for him to tell if anyone else was in the area but when Reid settled down he was able to feel Tyler's presence along with – he growled deeply in his chest – Chase.

Before he could even open his eyes, Reid bolted down the hall towards his dorm and Pogue ran after him as the blond threw open the door to his room.

"Tyler!"

His call went unanswered and by the time Pogue entered the room, Reid had called Tyler's name a handful of times. The room was a complete mess, papers were scattered everywhere and one of the beds was turned over. It was beyond obvious a struggle had happened. Pogue felt his stomach tighten as he gazed at the chaos and let his eyes drift closed as he sent his powers outward once again to try to locate the youngest member of their covenant. He had to use more force then normal for some reason, probably due to the fact that Reid's frustration and anger was too strong for him to block out and he was starting to get a small headache but he forced himself to ignore the discomfort and keep searching.

It was no use though; something was blocking his attempts and preventing him from feeling out the area, something powerful. He tried to focus harder but a small voice broke his concentration.

"Reid."

Next to him, Reid's shoulders lowered in relief as the blond recognized the voice. "Ty?"

The voice had come from the direction of the bathroom and Reid was across the room and standing in front of its closed door in the blink of an eye.

"Tyler are you okay? Open the door, man." The blond knocked on the door a few times and tried the handle. "Ty, come on."

"I'm not feeling too good okay. Give me a minute."

"Uh, okay." Reid replied and took a few steps away from the door.

Pogue watched with a confused look. By now all of his inner voices were screaming the exact same thing; something was wrong. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but he was sure something was wrong with Tyler and their surroundings weren't helping to calm the matter either.

(That sounds like him but it doesn't feel like Tyler.)

_That's because it's not him._

Pogue jumped slightly as William's voice entered his mind.

(What do you mean?)

_Close your eyes._

Pogue did as he was ordered and felt William form a mental picture in his mind of the sight beyond the bathroom door. A large figure was leaning against the door with his arms wrapped tightly around a smaller person whose hands were tied together, one holding the struggling person close while the other was clamped over the other's mouth, preventing him from speaking. The image sharpened a moment later and Pogue could tell the smaller person with the bound hands was Tyler while the one hand a hand over his mouth was none other then Caleb.

"Son of a bitch." Pogue hissed quietly.

Reid turned and gave him a confused look. "What?"

"That's not Tyler." Pogue whispered and approached the wooden door.

He raised his hand and used his mind to locate Chase and he zeroed in on his presence a quick moment later.

(William, I'm going to need you to help me.)

_Gladly._ The elder Danvers hummed darkly.

With a deep intake of breath, Pogue forced his powers into – what he hoped was – Caleb's mind and was rewarded a moment later when an ear-piercing scream emitted inside the small room. He forced the mental waves deeper with William's help, making sure the ripples tore through Chase's mind as painfully as possible and he enjoyed every single pained sound he was getting the bastard to make, despite the fact that is was Caleb making the noises.

Still keeping his powers aimed at Caleb, Pogue pulled the bathroom door off its hinges with a wave of his hand, revealing the sight in the small room. Caleb was slumped against the far wall, holding the side of his head and screaming in agony while Tyler was huddled on the ground next to him fearfully.

The sight was more then enough to send Reid into a blind rage. "Tyler!"

"Grab him!" Pogue yelled as he felt his grip on Chase start to recede.

He didn't need to tell the blond twice; within the blink of an eye, Reid turned his eyes black and used his enhanced speed to bolt across the room. Caleb struggled under Pogue's assault as Reid grabbed Tyler and Pogue used all of his energy to keep the fucker in place until both covenant members were safely at his side.

One look at the younger boy's bruised face and Pogue felt his anger rise once again to a dangerous level as Tyler buried his face against Reid's chest with a fearful whimper. He made the mistake of watching the two boys for too long and before he even felt it, Caleb broke free from Pogue's assault and turned his eyes black.

"Fuck!" Pogue cursed loudly and threw himself in front of Reid and Tyler as Caleb threw a large wave of his powers at them.

The impact knocked the three of them down and before Caleb could strike again, Reid vanished for a quick second and then his fist connected with Caleb's jaw with a loud crack.

"Son of a bitch!"

Pogue struggled to his feet in an effort to help but the blond was thrown to the floor with a wave of Caleb's arm before he could and the darker-haired boy immediately rounded on him.

"When will you learn?" Caleb growled as he used his powers to pin Reid to the floor. "You can't stop me."

Reid screamed as Caleb's powers vibrated through him, setting every nerve on fire and making his body feel like it was being torn apart. Across the room, he could hear Tyler scream his name and out of the corner of his eye, the younger covenant member tried to get to his feet in order to help but Caleb threw him against the wall.

"Ah-ah-ah baby boy! I'll deal with you later but first your little fuck boy."

Caleb placed his hand over Reid's shaking body once again but before he could torture the blond boy further, the hard wood of the bathroom door crashed over his back and he was thrown to the floor himself. Enraged, the older boy whipped his head around and his eyes narrowed to thin slits when he saw Pogue standing behind him.

"You–"

Pogue didn't let him finish, he turned his eyes black and once again raised his head and forced his way into Chase's mind. Caleb wailed loudly and fell to the floor, clutching the side of his head as the empath's powers tore through him. Pogue grunted from the amount of force he had to use to keep the boy pinned to the floor and knowing the next few moments could get dangerous, he moved his eyes in Reid's direction and found the blond attempting to crawl to his feet a short distance away.

"Reid, get Tyler and get the fuck out of here."

The blond's head jerked up. "Hell no, I'm gonna kill that asshole."

"Reid, get out or I'll throw the both of you out!" Pogue barked loudly and used more of his powers on the thrashing boy on the floor.

The blond growled and looked like he was going to protest but a stern glare from Pogue's black eyes was enough to change his mind and with a loud swishing sound, Reid was across the room and threw his arms around Tyler's torso. The younger boy dug his fingers into Reid's shoulder and faster then the blink of an eye, the two boys disappeared from the room. In their absence, Pogue continued his assault the screaming person rolling around on the floor.

(Come on you fucker, I'll rip you out with my bare hands if I have too.

However, his strength was quickly fading, blood was pounding inside his ears and another extreme headache was coming on but he forced himself to hold strong for as long as he physically could. He was forced to withdraw his powers less then a minute later just as he felt his legs gave out and his body slid to the floor. Caleb was spread out on his belly across the floor breathing his heavy pants and when the empath got his wind, he carefully crawled towards the wounded teen. His eyes were back to their normal color but they were blank and unfocused and for a moment, Pogue feared he'd gone too far.

He tried using his remaining energy to reach for Caleb's mind but he was forced to withdraw after a moment with a small shutter. His friend's mind was in complete chaos, Caleb's memories were scattered and there wasn't even a solid piece of his subconscious for Pogue to grab onto.

(Fuck.)

Slowly raising his arm, Pogue hesitantly reached out and touched Caleb's shoulder. The boy's entire body was trembling and Pogue had to fight all of his urges to wrap his arms around his former friend for comfort.

"Caleb?" Pogue voice was husky with fear and unease.

Caleb blinked slowly and when his eyes reopened, they were glossy and reflected their surroundings clearly.

"Pogue?"

--

No it's not over yet. Not by a long shot. Mwhahahaha!


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

"We're almost to the first floor Ty, just hang on." Reid whispered softly to the wounded boys in his arms.

Tyler mumbled a few words against his chest as they slowly climbed down the labyrinth of stairs towards the first floor but Reid couldn't understand any of them. He readjusted Tyler's weight against his shoulder as they limped down the last few steps to the ground floor but before they could walk another step a pained groan eased from Tyler's mouth.

"Reid stop."

Reid froze. "What's wrong?"

"My leg..." The younger boy moaned painfully.

The blond did as he was asked and helped ease Tyler down on the last step. Being as gentle as he could, Reid ran his hand down Tyler's leg until he touched a tender area that made the boy cringe. He gently rolled up the leg of Tyler's pants and bit his lip when he saw the younger boy's ankle was black and blue and swelling greatly.

"Fuck, looks like it's broken." Reid sighed and reached for Tyler's hand. "Here, I'll help you heal it."

The moment he touched the younger boy's hand, Tyler startled and pulled it out of Reid's reach. "No. It'll be fine."

"What? Ty it's broken, you can't walk like this. Shit, look at you."

Reid's hand moved from the younger boy's leg to his bruised face, his fingers lightly feeling the boy's split lip. He touched a tender area and Tyler flinched and gave a small groan.

"I'm gonna kill that fucker, I swear." Reid grumbled as he withdrew his hand and slouched back against the stairs near Tyler, his ears kept on alert for any sound of danger.

He hated the fact that they had to stop when they were still too close to Chase but there wasn't much of a choice since Tyler kept refusing to heal his injured leg. Without even realizing it, Reid felt his eyes move back towards the wounded boy, his anger flaring once again when he gazed at the damage Chase had done to him. Tyler was even curling in on himself, something Reid hadn't seen the teen do since he was younger and the sight enraged him even more.

"Come on Ty, we need to leave. We've already been here for too long."

Tyler's head shot up. "What about Pogue?"

"He'll be fine." Reid replied as he looped an arm under Tyler's shoulder and pulled the younger boy upright.

"But he's not strong enough–"

"Pogue can handle Chase." Reid grumbled as he settled Tyler's weight against him evenly. "Besides, there's no fucking way I'm leaving you alone."

Tyler didn't say anything else as he huddled against Reid's chest and the two of them started walking once again. Reid made sure to keep his steps slow, remembering Tyler's leg and his own soreness from being thrown around like a rag doll at Chase's hands.

"Is your car in the garages?"

"I–I think so." Tyler mumbled against his chest. "_He_ brought it back so I thought it was you–"

Reid stared at him and felt a growl bubble in his throat from Tyler's words but he forced it back down. "Hopefully it's still there then."

The blond paused momentarily to push the large double doors open, revealing the chilly and now dark Spencer campus. Dusk was now on the horizon and not wanting to be caught up in the upcoming darkness, Reid led them towards the student garages in search of Tyler's truck.

--

"Pogue?"

Upon hearing his name come from the panting boy lying on the floor in front of him Pogue felt his heart move into his throat.

"Caleb?" His voice was trembling as he cautiously leaned closer to the older boy, refusing to completely believe it wasn't Chase talking to him.

After all, he'd been fooled before...

Caleb blinked again, slower this time and gently raised his head from the floor. His brown eyes moved around the room rapidly, taking in his surroundings. He struggled to pull himself from the floor and Pogue had to fight every single inch of himself in order to keep from reaching out and helping the older teen up. However, all of his self control and restraint vanished the instant those brown eyes turned towards him.

"Where am I?"

Caleb's voice was soft and shaky as the eldest covenant member pushed himself to his knees and this time Pogue couldn't stop himself from reaching out and touching him. His hand acted on its own accord and found it's way towards Caleb's throbbing shoulder.

"You're in Reid and Tyler's room."

Caleb's shoulders coiled tight and he raised his head. "Tyler, jesus is he okay?"

The fear in Caleb's eyes made Pogue's chest tighten painfully. "He's fine, don't worry."

"Oh god." A sob echoed inside of Caleb's throat as the older boy swallowed. "I–I tried to stop him but I couldn't. All I could do was watch as he hurt him–"

Helplessness attacked Pogue's mind in a strong wave and the empath couldn't help but shutter from the feeling. Caleb's subconscious felt so weak and small to him it was unnerving to think of how much damage was done to the teen.

"It's okay Caleb. He's alright."

Relief had finally settled into Caleb's body from Pogue's words and he exhaled loudly. "Thank god."

Caleb had finally stopped trembling and Pogue could feel the other boy's warmth under his hand. The feeling made his heart flutter and unwanted memories stir inside of him. The last time he'd felt this warmth Caleb was underneath him, naked and writhing in pleasure, calling out his name in that deep throaty voice.

Pogue shamefully shook his head and pulled his hand away a moment later. "Where's Chase?"

Caleb startled at the name of his darker half. "He's– he's still here, I can still feel him."

Pogue felt his anger spike; that son of a bitch was still in there? After all of the strength and power he just used that fucker was still holding the strings and using Caleb as his own puppet? What would it take for that fucker to die? He was drawn out of his thoughts when he heard Caleb gasp loudly and the boy fell forwards and gripped the side of his head tightly.

"No!"

Pogue frowned and dropped to the floor near his friend. "Caleb?"

"He's...he's coming back." Caleb cried as he doubled over on his side. "No."

Dark emotions swirled around Pogue's head and the empath instantly knew they weren't coming from the boy in front of him; he could feel Chase's presence stirring in the back of Caleb's mind and in a panic, Pogue threw his powers back into Caleb's mind.

He could feel Caleb's presence in darkness, it was the only bright light in a sea of crushing darkness and the empath immediately wrapped his own powers around the small light in an effort to protect it. The darkness coiled around him tightly in an effort to fight but it movedback into the dark depths a moment later.

Wariness and exhaustion spread through Caleb's body and with a sigh, the teen went limp. Pogue's arms curled around Caleb's shoulders automatically afterwards, letting the boy huddle against his chest and he tried to lend as much mental power to his friend as he could.

"Thank you." Caleb whispered against him and Pogue felt several spots on his shirt grow wet, signaling the boy shed a few tears.

Pogue nodded slightly and bit his lip. Bad memories were starting to upturn inside of him and it was growing harder to keep them at bay. Caleb felt so good in his arms, just like last time and just like that horrid night, Pogue was having a hard time keeping himself under control.

"He's gonna go after Tyler again, I know he is." Caleb mumbled against his chest and it took Pogue several seconds to realize the older boy was talking.

"What does want with Tyler?"

"Tyler doesn't age the same as the rest of us." Caleb answered softly, his voice growing deeper with wariness. "He wants his power."

Pogue blinked and sighed mentally. Of course, Chase would've had an anterior motive for going after Tyler besides revenge.

"I'll protect him Caleb, don't worry."

"You need to take him somewhere were I won't find him." Caleb whimpered against his chest.

"I will."

Caleb was starting to grow heavier in his arm and his eyes were starting to close. His subconscious was slipping from Pogue's grasp and the empath struggled to keep a hold of it. He knew he could keep Chase in the dark for a few more minutes if he tried but it was growing harder because of Caleb's failing strength. Knowing he'd only have a few moments until Chase came back, Pogue took a deep breath and gathered his wits. He needed some answers and he didn't know when he'd get another chance.

"Caleb what do you know about the Crimson Tome?"

"The what?"

"It's some kind of ritual; I think Chase is trying to do it."

Caleb went stiff against him and shook his head. "I don't know Pogue. I'm sorry."

"Do know where he goes then? He has to hide somewhere; he's been disappearing left and right."

"He keeps going somewhere, I don't really know but it's some kind of weird room. I've only been able to see it a few times." Caleb replied and tightened his fingers against Pogue's shirt.

"What dose it look like?"

Caleb did answer vocally but he raised a trembling hand near Pogue's face. The empath startled slightly, remembering the last time Caleb reached for him that way but his fear was calmed when the appendage remained still. He understood the meaning of the gesture a moment later and gently took Caleb's hand and place it near the side of his head. As he closed his eyes, Pogue felt himself being pulled out of his body and into a dark room lined with old bricks. A set of pillars lay near his right, along with a large stone table and Pogue felt the all too familiar chill run down his back.

(The Chamber of Shadows...)

The image faded a second later and Pogue found himself back in the ruined dorm room with Caleb still cradled in his arms. Caleb's eyes were gazing at him sadly and the teen lowered his head when Pogue met his gaze.

"You need to leave, before he comes back."

Pogue shook his head. "No."

"Pogue, please, I don't want him to– I don't to hurt you."

"You won't. I can keep him away Caleb–"

"Then kill me. It's the only way to stop Chase because he won't give up."

Those words cut right into Pogue's heart and he could feel tears starting to form inside his eyes. "I can't Caleb. You know I can't."

"You have too; I don't trust anyone else to do it."

"No."

"Please Pogue.

It took all of Pogue's mental strength to keep from slapping him.

"Caleb no. I'm not going to kill you." Pogue yelled and held the boy closer. "I'll save you."

Tears were forming in Caleb's eyes once again. "You can't."

"Yes I can Caleb. I'll stop him." Pogue said softly and tightened his arms around Caleb's limp shoulders. "I'll redeem myself."

"For what?"

Caleb's question caught him off guard but before Pogue could answer him, there was a soft tug at the empath's subconscious.

_Pogue you need to let him go. If Chase wakes up with him out in the open there won't be anything left of Caleb for you to talk too._

William's voice was soft but Pogue could feel the urgency in it so he did what the elder asked. He released his hold on Caleb's presence and it was immediately grabbed by William's and soon faded all together.

_Chase is stirring so I suggest you leave quickly._ _I'll try to buy you some time. _

Pogue nodded mentally and set Caleb's now unconscious body on the floor, wincing as the long string of dark emotions that could only belong to Chase ran through his mind. Pogue felt rooted to the spot from all that had just happened and when Caleb's eyes opened a moment later. The warmth was gone from their gaze and the older boy drew himself from Pogue's arms with a groan.

"Oh god, do I even want to know?"

Pogue growled tiredly when he recognized the attitude and got to his feet. "Chase."

"You know, I really wish people would stop saying my name like that. It's starting to bum me out." Caleb snorted as he also rolled to his feet.

Both boys staggered on their feet as exhaustion and injures fully sunk in.

"Goddamn." Caleb groaned and leaned against a nearby wall. "I underestimated you."

Pogue growled once again and felt every single muscle in his body tighten. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick your sorry ass?"

"Because I'm not an unreasonable guy?" Chase replied with a shrug.

Pogue narrowed his eyes, making the pale blue gems glow in the dim lighting.

"And what the fuck does that mean?"

"It means, Pogue, that unlike the rest of your covenant, I understand your pain."

"Should be easy enough for you since you caused half of it." The empath growled.

"Really, and what did I do? I don't treat you like an undependable child like that old man Gorman does, do I?"

His words hit a very sensitive nerve but Pogue didn't let it show. "Keep talking Chase, it gives me more time to visualize tearing you apart."

The other teen wasn't at all phased by the remark.

"Well your anger almost did the job Pogue, where does something that strong come from?" Chase asked, a dark grin coming to his face.

"I'm looking at it."

"Oh no, it's not strong enough to just be coming from me. Something _that_ dark takes years and years to build up. Trust me, I know the feeling well."

Chase took a small step closer and Pogue instantly took one back.

"You can't tell me you're not tired of being held under Gorman's thick thumb your entire life or of William constantly talking down on you for what happened between yourself and his son?"

His remark hit another nerve and Pogue couldn't stop himself from lashing out. "Shut up, it's your fucking fault that happened."

"I guess it is, it's all my fault that everyone hates you because I granted your one wish." Chase mused out loud, loving the distress he was causing.

"My one– you made me rape him so sick fuck!"

Chase pretended to be looking at his finger nails as he spoke. "Rape huh? I don't recall Caleb telling you to stop, do you?"

"How could he, it was you the whole fucking time?"

"Actually, it wasn't. I gave Caleb free reign at that time."

"Bullshit." Pogue spat.

"Fine, he was aware of what was happing and that it felt good but I still didn't hear anything that sounded like a stop."

Pogue bit his lip so hard he tasted blood. His anger was tearing away at his insides, trying to claw its way out and wanting to tear into the bastard that stood a few short feet away.

Chase smiled, that was the reaction he was aiming for. "It felt good, didn't it, finally having him in your arms."

"You son of a bitch." The empath hissed softly.

"I can't imagine it wouldn't have from all of the sounds I heard."

Pogue turned his eyes black in anger but Chase remained calm, knowing the boy was in too much distress to cause him any harm. He stayed silent for a few moments, letting his words sink in fully before he spoke again.

"I don't even want to imagine how unfair that must've felt. William had his wife, Caleb had Sarah and Tyler has Reid, but little Pogue is all alone because he desperately wants what he can't have."

"Shut up."

"And people say I'm selfish for only wanting my body back after it was destroyed and I'm sure they say the same thing about you even though all Pogue wants is someone to love him."

"I said, shut up!"

"Am I wrong?"

Pogue roared loudly and kicked a chuck of the ruble that had once been the door to the bathroom with his foot, sending the wood into the wall hard enough to make a hole.

"What the fuck do you want Chase?"

Upon hearing the question he was waiting for, Chase drew himself to his full height. "You know what I want, I want my own body back but the more dire question would be, what does little Pogue want?"

Within the blink of an eye, Chase was across the room and standing face to face with the disgruntled empath.

"Scratch that, I know exactly what it is you want." The older boy mused as he raised a hand to Pogue's face.

Pogue flinched and turned his head away; expecting a blow but none came. Chase smiled from the reaction and lightly trailed a finger down Pogue's cheek.

"I'm not an unreasonable person Pogue. I can give you what you want; all you have to do is help me."

Pogue's teeth continued sinking into his lower lip, making a small trail of blood run from the corner of his lip. "You have nothing that I want."

"I believe I do." Chase purred darkly and leaned close to Pogue's ear. "Help me get my body back, and I'll give you Caleb."

--

"Does it still hurt?"

"Yeah, but not so much at the moment." Tyler said softly as Reid's fingers once again felt the swelling on his leg.

"Fuck Ty, it defiantly feels broken. Can't you heal it?"

Tyler's blue eyes darkened with unease and he shook his head. "No, I– I'm not strong enough to right now."

Reid didn't believe him but decided not to question it further. "Whatever, Gorman can patch you up anyways; can you hang on till then?"

Tyler nodded silently and watched as Reid pulled the seatbelt from the wall of the Hummer's back seat and strapped the belt around the younger boy's torso. The blond wasn't sure the belt would hold properly since Tyler was sitting crossways in the seat because of his leg but it would have to do for the moment; it was a short ride anyway.

With a nod to the younger boy, Reid slid out of the back seat and closed the door behind him and walked the last few steps to the driver's side. He reached for the door handle and was about to pull the black door open when a shadow appeared on the side of the car. Fearing it was Caleb again, Reid turned his eyes back and threw a shred of his power at the first human thing he saw when he turned.

The attack was easily blocked and before Reid could throw another an enraged voice stopped him.

"Jesus Christ Reid, it's me!" Pogue yelled, holding his arm in the air just in case the blond didn't believe him.

"You fucking moron, don't sneak up on me like that. I thought you were him."

"Sorry." Pogue grumbled as he wheeled his bike to the rear of the Hummer and lifted it into the back with his powers. "Let's get out of here."

"Fine by me." Reid grumbled as he climbed into the driver's seat.

Pogue opened the passenger's side and climbed in a short moment later, his eyes immediately moving towards the back seat.

"You alright Ty?"

Tyler nodded silently but didn't say anything as he drew his good knee to his chest and rested his head against it. The sight was unnerving for the empath but before he could look away, the younger boy opened his mouth.

"Is he gone?"

Pogue gazed at the wounded boy sadly and sighed. "Yeah Tyler, he's gone."

--

Hope school went okay for those of you who have it but could everyone please stop bellyaching about it, you're making me feel old. (Cries.)

...Just kidding. That was the Rum and Sprite talking, old family curer-all.

...And does anyone know where I can find some LotR Legeolas/ Sauron slash...Don't ask, just blame my buddy Ylith.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

"_I'm not an unreasonable person Pogue. I can give you what you want; all you have to do is help me."_

The hairs on the back of Pogue's neck stood up as Chase's voice kept repeating inside his head non stop. His eyes blankly stared out of the window at the dark passing scenery in an attempt to block out the thoughts running rapid in his mind but to no avail; Chase and his cruel promises would not be silenced.

Over in the driver's side, Reid was also coldly silent. His eyes kept darting to the rearview mirror, watching the wounded boy in the backseat and occasionally glancing in Pogue's direction, hoping for an answer to the events that had unfolded over the length of the passing day. The Hummer turned off the paved cement of the main street and onto the lone dirt road that led to the colony house with a heavy bump that made all its passengers rattle in their seats.

"Mmp."

Reid's eyes immediately moved to the mirror when he heard Tyler's groan.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine. That bump just hurt my leg, that's all."

Reid's eyes stayed glued to the mirror for a moment before he turned his eyes back towards the road.

"We'll be there in a minute Ty, just hang on."

Tyler didn't say anything back, which didn't surprise the two boys sitting in front of the car and the next few minutes were sent in complete silent until the dark shape of Gorman's old house came into view. With a loud squeal of tires, Reid slammed on the brakes and the Hummer skid to a rough stop. Pogue barely had enough time to grasp the handle on the door behind his head could connect with the dash bard.

"Fucking hell Reid–"

The blond was already out of the car and pulling open the door to the back seat before he could say anything further so Pogue left it at that and slid out of his own seat. Reid had already helped Tyler down from the backseat by the time Pogue had his feet on the ground and the youngest of the three was already clinging heavily to Reid's body. The sight caused Pogue's chest to tighten to a crushing size, the feeling made all the more upsetting by the waves of fear and distress Tyler was emitting and the empath lowered his eyes to the ground.

To say Chase's words upset him was an understatement. They cut right into him like a rusty knife, tearing every single shred of logical thought to pieces and more Pogue tried to fight against it, the louder Chase's voice grew. Now he was having a hard time silencing it, it was almost like the bastard was there next to him whispering all this shit in his ear.

"Pogue!"

The empath blinked as Reid's voice reached his ears and he moved his gaze towards the direction his voice came from.

"Will you help me already? He can't make it up the steps by himself." The blond yelled impatiently, gesturing to Tyler's free side.

With a nod, Pogue moved towards the two boys and tossed Tyler's free arm around his shoulder. Tyler's limp grew heavier as they neared the house and the two boys had to physically lift him up the stairs as it grew worse. The door was pulled open just as they neared it and Gorman's figure could be seen moving up the dark hallway. At first, Gorman was speechless as he gazed at his youngest god child but his voice returned with a heavy growl as he crossed the room.

"Damn that boy! Bring him in."

Reid and Pogue did as they were told, leading Tyler down the hall towards the bedroom. Gorman fallowed behind them silently, his anger crushing against Pogue's mind the entire way. Pogue branched off from the group as they neared the bedrooms, knowing that he would no longer be needed and grateful for that fact; Tyler and Gorman were starting to give him a serious headache from all of their emotions.

He lingered in the hallway for a moment, glancing in the doorway at Gorman as he examining Tyler's leg before lowering his head and continuing down the hall to the elder's study, wanting to be alone. A small thread of Gorman's powers brushed against him as he left, obviously tracking his movements in the house as he entered the small room.

He immediately threw himself onto the plush couch and let his eyes drift closed as his headache reached another painful peak. By now he was sure what was causing it, all of the emotions in the air or Chase's malicious voice rolling around inside of his head, and it showed no signs of receding anytime soon.

"_You know what I want, I want my own body back but the more dire question would be, what does little Pogue want?"_

Pogue growled and squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to hear that son of a bitch's voice inside his head again. He couldn't let Chase get to him, he needed to be strong; Caleb needed him to be strong.

"_It felt good, didn't it, finally having him in your arms."_

(Shut up, get out of my head.)

"_Help me get my body back, and I'll give you Caleb."_

(Leave me alone!)

With a growl, Pogue covered his ears with his hands and screamed mentally. He felt the wave shoot threw the whole house and more then likely reached Gorman's ears but he didn't care. The voices were finally quieting down and tiredly, Pogue slammed his head into the plush cushions with a groan.

(I wouldn't hate it so much if that son of a bitch wasn't completely right about everything.)

"Are you alright?"

Pogue startled when he heard Gorman's voice and when he raised his head he saw the elder was standing less then a foot away from him; he didn't even hear Gorman's footsteps.

The empath eyed him for a moment before moving his gaze back to the floor. "How's Tyler?"

"His injuries aren't serious at the moment, it's you I'm more concerned about."

"I'm fine. Go heal Tyler." Pogue grumbled tiredly.

"Tyler's emotions aren't the ones tearing my house apart."

"I'm fine dammit. Just leave me alone for a bit." Pogue growled dangerously.

Gorman remained where he was however and it wasn't long before Pogue felt a light touch of the elder's power brush against his mind. With an enraged groan, Pogue forced a thick wall around himself, blocking Gorman from entering his mind. The elder's power withdrew a slow second later and with a quiet sigh, Gorman's footsteps left the room.

Feeling that he was alone once again, Pogue opened his eyes and was surprised to see tear stains on the cushions under him. He didn't need to feel his cheek in order to tell he was crying and more tears fell as he gave up and buried his head into the softness under him.

--

Reid grumbled as many curse words under his breath as he could and paced up and down the cold hallway, his eyes returning to the closed door he was standing in front of every few seconds. Gorman had ordered him out of the bedroom shortly after he carried Tyler in it and he'd been wearing a hole in the floorboards since then, silently willing the door to open.

(Tyler.)

He had no idea how the boy was doing and that though more then anything angered him. It was his fault that Chase went after him, it was his fault that asshole hurt him. It was all his fault and he'd never forgive himself for it.

After pacing up and down the hallway a handful of times, Reid finally gave up with a groan and slid down the wall to the floor. His hands were shaking from his anger and with a growl, Reid slammed his fist into the wall behind him. Pain shot up his arm from the impact and he nursed his wounded hand in his lap. His head rose when he heard movement and he jumped to his feet as the door across from him was pulled open. Gorman stepped into the hall, immediately eyeing the fresh dent in the wall caused by Reid's hand.

"Will you please refrain from wreaking my house; Pogue's already done a number on it."

"Sorry." Reid grumbled, rubbing his sore hand. "How's Tyler?"

"He's fine. I managed to heal most of his injuries, even though they were miner enough for him to do so."

Reid blinked heavily and lowered his head. "I know, it's weird. He wouldn't heal himself at all earlier. He wouldn't even... let me touch him."

A slight blush came to Reid's face as he finished and he hoped Gorman hadn't seen it. He didn't know if he was ready for the elder to know about his relationship with the younger boy and he tried to keep his mind clear just in case Gorman decided to pry into it.

"So he's okay now?"

"Like I said, he's fine." Gorman replied with a curious glint in his eyes and started walking a slow pace down the hall.

Reid watched him for a moment, until the elder turned into his study and disappeared. The blond lingered in the hall for a few minutes more before turning towards the open door and entering the room. The bedroom was bathed in a soft glow from a lit candle on the nigh stand near the bed and the gold light illuminated the lone figure curled against the bed's headboard. After closing the door behind him, Reid slowly walked towards the bed and sat down near the youngest covenant member.

"How's your leg?"

Tyler blinked as he was drawn back to reality and turned his head. His blue eyes brightened when they saw Reid, making the blond's heart flutter with warmth.

"It's alright; Gorman patched it up for me." Tyler replied and stretched his now healed leg out on the bed for Reid to see.

The blond eyed the limb with relief but opened his mouth before he could stop himself.

"Yeah but couldn't you have done it?"

Tyler's shoulder grew stiff as he shook his head. "No. I mean, yes I could have but–"

Reid's arms wrapped around him as he shakily cut off. "It's alright Ty; I didn't mean it like that."

"I know." Tyler whispered and crawled into Reid's arms.

The blond's arms came around him a moment later, wrapping around the younger boy's shoulders gently.

"You're safe now, that's all that matters."

"From him?"

"Yeah Ty, you're safe from him." Reid mumbled against Tyler's ear. "He's not gonna lay another hand on you while I'm still breathing."

"Promise?" Tyler asked softly and grew heavier against him, his thin fingers tugging at Reid's shirt.

Reid tightened his arms and moved his head into Tyler's neck. "I promise."

--

Gorman gazed down at the sleeping teen curled in a tight ball on his couch and released a small, pained sigh. The air in his study was still thick with Pogue's anger and the dark emotion gnawed heavily at the elder's subconscious ever since he first entered the room.

(Poor boy, no one should have this chaos forced on them.)

Reaching out gently, Gorman pushed several locks of Pogue's hair out of the boy's eyes and smoothed the strands behind his ears, sighing once more when he saw the empath's eyes were red and puffy.

(And I swore I'd never let you end up like Gavin. Some guardian I am.)

With a quick flash of his eyes and a jerk of his head, Gorman called one of the blankets stern across the room's many chairs to wrap around Pogue's sleeping form. Just as the cloth tucked around the teen's shoulders, Gorman felt something touch his mental field and the elder wrapped his mind around it curiously.

His head with filled with the image of a small, gold trinket and the more he of it he viewed, the colder his insides grew. He knew exactly what he was looking at without a shadow of a doubt.

(It can't be, all but one of them was destroyed.)

His own confusion wafted into the air of the room, mixing with Pogue's left over feelings and their combination made the elder's blood run cold.

(Damn it Roran, you've doomed your grandson's covenant.)


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

Hot, silky skin trembled underneath his finger tips and Pogue's lips twisted into a pleased grin. The warm mound of flesh resting underneath him groaned softly and arched up against his fingers.

"Pogue."

The deep throaty moan sent wonderful chills down Pogue's spine. He leaned forwards, gently crawling over the tanned lithe body resting on the bed under him. Large fingers started running up his back, causing a groan to emit from Pogue's lips as they lightly massaged the tight muscles in his shoulders.

Warm amber eyes hungry stared up at him and Pogue felt himself melt under their gaze. God, how can one simple creature be so enthralling? His name was uttered once again as the figure under him reached upwards and claimed his mouth in a hot, burning kiss. Tongues rubbed and caressed each other as the dark-haired boy whimpered and raised his hips, gently rubbing them against Pogue's.

"Oh god, Caleb." He moaned wolfishly.

Caleb's fingers wound themselves in his hair and directed Pogue's mouth down towards his neck, which the other boy didn't mind. His tongue lapped at the hot, sweaty skin, drawing a deep groan from Caleb's perfectly sculpted lips.

He dared himself to move his hands downward, letting them trace the tight muscles of Caleb's chest and stomach. The older boy moaned and arched up once again, grinding his hardening member into Pogue's leg.

"Pogue, mmh, please." Caleb practically begged in a deep throaty voice.

Pogue quickly figured out what the other boy was implying and moved a hand down to the other boy's fly.

"God Caleb – god I love you."

Caleb's pants soon quieted and before Pogue could go any further, the older boy's large fingers soon wrapped around his hand.

"Really, you love me?"

Caleb's eyes soon took on an unknown glint at they stared up at him and Pogue couldn't help the cold shiver that ghosted down his spine.

"Y-yes." He replied back, confused by Caleb's sudden dark behavior.

"Then why did you hurt me?" Caleb's voice turned cold and hard as his fingers painfully grabbed the back of Pogue's neck and forcefully pulled the younger boy closer. "Why did you rape me?"

Before Pogue could even find his voice, Caleb raised a hand and painfully slammed it against the left side of Pogue's chest, sending a powerful force of his powers into the other boy's body. A deep scream tore from Pogue's mouth as blinding, white hot pain coursed through his entire being from the darker hared boy's palm.

Caleb's laughter rang inside of his ears as he doubled over from the pain's intensity. His vision swam around him as he felt his body tumble into the dark void of unconsciousness.

--

Pogue jerked awake as consciousness returned to him and he nearly fell off the surface he was laying on. His heart beat was thudding heavily inside his ear, forcing a small headache to form near the front of his skull and with a groggy moan he raised a hand to his head.

(Christ what a nightmare.)

The burning in his skull lessened after a minute and he was able to open his eyes. The room was blurry at first but eventually came into focus; he was still in Gorman's study. His eyes moved towards the blanket wrapped around him and he couldn't help a small roll of his eyes.

(Why does he always fucking baby me?)

His fingers pulled the blanket off as he rolled into a sitting position and a loud yelp sounded inside the room the second he sat up. The left side of Pogue's chest burned painfully, almost like someone was holding a hot flame against the skin. Confused, he reached down and lifted the bottom of his shirt up.

(What the hell?)

The skin of left side of his torso was bright red and looked like it was just a few short seconds away from blistering. He dared himself to touch it and his fingers burned with a heat so intense he was forced to pull them away before he could blink. With a groan, he pulled his shirt back down and situated the cloth so it wouldn't rub against the hot skin and rolled his feet to the floor.

His head was still throbbing but he was able to ignore the sharp pains and get to his feet. The old house was completely silent and after taking a quick glance at the nearby window, Pogue saw it was sometime in the early morning.

(Fuck, how long was I asleep?)

He eyed the window for a long moment and then turned his head away with a sigh. Why couldn't Gorman have woken him earlier, he really didn't want to sleep for the entire night for fear that Chase would make another appearance and go after Tyler once again, in which case the elder would definitely need all the help he could get.

"_You can't tell me you're not tired of being held under Gorman's thick thumb your entire life or of William constantly talking down on you for what happened between yourself and his son?"_

(Shut up.)

The Chase's voice was still ringing inside of his head and Pogue forced the bastard's voice to the back of his mind. As he cursed Chase a stray thought worked its way into his mind; the pendent. Pogue startled and his head shot up; he'd completely forgotten about the damn thing. After gingerly getting to his feet, Pogue crossed through the study and entered the hall.

Like it usually was, the hallway was empty and his footsteps echoed loudly as he moved down it. He paused as he neared the closed door to the room Reid and Tyler shared during the night and a light feel of his powers told him they were still there safe and sound so he continued onward until he descended the stone steps to the lower areas of the house.

The candles in the cellar were still lit, which surprised him but he forced the matter to the side as he reached the last stair. He moved towards the table was sitting at and moved the stacks of books around in search of the small gold item. It wasn't there and in a panic, Pogue shoved the books completely off the table to clear its surface.

"Looking for this?"

The empath jumped when he heard Gorman's voice behind him and he spun about and saw the elder sitting in the far corner of the cellar near the covenant's hearth, the pendent's gold chain clutched tightly between his thin fingers. His normally sharp eyes bore a haunted expression that more was more then enough to keep Pogue's question silent.

"Sit down, I think to two of us should talk." Gorman said in an early cold voice and gestured to stone seat normally reserved for the Parry male.

Pogue eyed the cold hearth for a moment, noticing how empty the square seamed to be without the other three boys and reluctantly did what the elder asked. A small part of him noticed Gorman was occupying the seat reserved for the Danvers' heir but his attention was diverted when Gorman sighed loudly.

"I have been such a fool."

The elder's confession took Pogue by surprise. "Gorman?"

"You have no idea how much I wish you weren't involved in all of this." Gorman mumbled softly, his eyes boring down at the small gold pendent. "This damn thing should've been destroyed a long time ago."

Pogue waited for a few seconds before he dared himself to seat. "My grandfather had it in his deposit box."

Gorman's shoulders tightened slightly and then loosened.

"Your father more then likely put it there after Gavin's death, William took the other one. Both of these damn things should've been destroyed."

Something sharp jabbed into Pogue's heart and he couldn't help the heavy swallow in his throat. "He's dead?"

The elder stared at him silently and lowered his head. "I am sorry; I had hoped your father would've said something to you. Yes, your grandfather died 15 years ago...because of this thing."

Gorman held up the pendent, its gold coloring reflecting the lit candles in the dark cellar beautifully and Pogue eyed it with a mesmerized look until he could gather himself.

"How?"

"It's too long of a story Pogue and I'd rather not tell you at the moment because you have more then enough thrown on your shoulders but I'll tell you this much, there's a reason why this is considered an abomination that shouldn't have been made. Your ancestors forged it in their ignorance, along with three others during their settlement here and used them regularly to bring the deceased back to life."

"The Crimson Tome, right?"

Gorman nodded sadly. "It has many names but they all mean the same thing; Ritual of blood."

"And that's what Chase is trying to do."

"Yes, he believes the ritual will put him back in his own body if he does it properly and that's what has been driving him all this time."

"Can Chase actually perform the ritual? I mean, he only has one of those things."

"Unfortunately you're wrong. He has the other three in his grasp; he obtained them not long ago, not to mention the final piece he recently obtained."

The elder drew silent and a quick mental picture formed in Pogue's mind of the room with the stone pillars.

"It has something to do with the Chamber of Shadows, doesn't it?"

"You never fail to amaze me." Gorman chuckled slightly. "And yes, it does. That was the only place the ritual could be performed because it's one of very few links between our realm and the spectral one."

(Makes sense.)

"Where is it?" Pogue asked, straightening up in his seat. "I've been seeing that damn room in my dreams for months now, where the hell is it?"

"I don't know Pogue, not many people have seen it and lived long enough to record its whereabouts."

(Damn.)

Pogue was about to open his mouth and ask another question when the room's silence was interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

"Any particular reason why both of you are hiding down here?" Reid asked with a lazy shrug.

"Reminiscing." Gorman answered a short time later. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, I guess. Tyler was hurt more then I was– mmh." Reid cut off and lightly placed his hand against his chest.

Gorman watched him with a concerned gaze and got to his feet less then a second later, slowly stumbling over to the blonde. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just this weird feeling right there, that's all."

Pogue's ears twitched and he raised his head curiously. Reid was holding his hand against the left side of his chest, near his heart and an overwhelming sense of Déjà Vu come over him. He also got to his feet and walked towards the blond.

"What's it feel like?"

Reid turned his head towards the empath and shrugged. "Kinda like my skin's heating up or something. It's really weird."

(What?)

Both teens turned their heads towards Gorman, confusion written clear across their faces. The elder remained silent however, his sharp eyes gazing at Reid with an unreadable expression in their infinite depths. After a large handful of silent, uncomfortable moments the elder's face softened and Pogue swore he could see a small grin tugging at Gorman's thin lips.

"Reid, I want you to do something for me."

The blond gave him a confused look. "Uh, what?"

"Find Tyler."

Reid blinked and looked like he was about to turn on his feet but a wave of Gorman's hand stopped him.

"No, stay where you are and use your mind."

The elder's words earned a confused snort from the teen.

"You off your rocker Gorman?"

"Humor me." Gorman replied shortly.

Reid stared at the elder for a long period of time and with a annoyed sigh, he let his eyes slid closed. Silence soon filled the air of the cellar, making Pogue feel uncomfortable and dumb just standing there being left out of the loop. Thankfully the silence didn't last for too long and Reid broke it with a sharp intake of breath.

"Holy Shit."

That got Pogue's attention, fearing something was wrong.

"What?"

"He's upstairs sleeping but– Jesus Christ I can _see_ him!"

"You what?"

"Dude, it's like I'm standing in the room with him. What the hell–"

Both covenant members turned their heads when Gorman's laughter sounded inside the cellar.

"It tends to happen when two covenant members have been intimate. You're powers merged together with the other, or in your case, Tyler."

Reid stared at him for a moment before a thick blush broke out across his cheeks. "Christ, everyone knows now."

"I've seen it many times before Reid." The elder chuckled and started making his way towards the stairs. "You might even say it runs in your family."

"What the fuck? How many Garwins were queer?"

"A large handful of them." The elder called down the stairs.

Reid blinked and shook his head. "Shit, I don't fucking believe this. Do you?"

It took Pogue a while to realize the blond was talking to him. "Hmm? Um, yeah. Weird isn't it."

"Weird? My bloodline is nothing but a fruit orchard. That's horrifying."

Pogue laughed slightly but the humor quickly disappeared as the meaning of Gorman's words sunk in.

"_It tends to happen when two covenant members have been intimate. You're powers merge together with the other..."_

(Did mine merge with Caleb's when...?)

Almost on command, the warmth emitted from the left side of chest but Pogue was too numb to acknowledge it.

(That explains why Chase has been dogging my steps and how William found me.)

A chill settled in his skin but Pogue couldn't honestly tell if it was from the thick air in the cellar or from his revelation.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

(Come on, I should be able to do this.)

With an aggravated groan, Pogue took a deep breath and let his eyes drift closed. His mind opened it's self at his command, slowly feeling out his surroundings and when he adjusted to the many sensations filling his head, he formed a mental picture of Caleb.

The inside of his chest tightened slightly from just picturing the boy's soft brown eyes but other then that Pogue didn't see or feel anything out of the un-ordinary and he opened his eyes with a grumbled curse.

(Dammit, Reid can do it and apparently Chase can so why can't I?)

Pogue sighed heavily and brushed a few sweaty strands of hair out of his face. The side of his head throbbed slightly but there was hardly any pain so he was able to ignore it until it faded away.

"Damn." The empath growled and let himself sink further into the couch underneath him.

The lights inside of Gorman's study dimmed a bit from his intense frustration and the fire crackled loudly as Pogue's anger fed into it. He calmed himself a moment later, fearing the strong emotions would attract unwanted attention in the form of Gorman and watched the flames in the fireplace dance and flare.

He'd been trying to locate Caleb for what felt like hours but he had no success as of yet. Every time he closed his eyes and thought of Caleb he'd either come up with a blank picture of images of the night he took advantage of the older boy and his guilt soon became too much and he was forced to open his eyes and find something to take his mind off of the horrid memories.

"_It felt good, didn't it, finally having him in your arms."_

(Why won't that fucker shut up?)

Pogue shook his head to silence Chase's voice and continued staring at the fireplace. The flames were now a dark red color, perfectly matching Pogue's mood and the teen continued staring into them for a handful of minutes before he closed his eyes and tried again. He thought of Caleb once more and opened his mind, hoping he'd get a glimpse of his friend's location.

Nothing, all he could see was the darkness from his closed eyes.

(Dammit, what the hell am I doing wrong?)

He didn't know the answer to that question and he wasn't about to ask Reid or Gorman about it either. Instead he just slammed his heel into the rim of the couch and rose to his feet grumpily.

(Reid did it on the first try and he even felt the same feeling in his chest. Why the fuck isn't this working?)

He was pacing now, his feet shuffling heavily across the wooden floor as he tore through the hundreds of thoughts running crazy inside his head.

(According to what Gorman said, my powers should've merged with Caleb's that night so I should be able to track him. Why isn't it working?)

The room was slowly filling with his anger and the emotion would soon spread throughout the entire house but the empath hardly cared at the moment. What was he doing wrong? He powers should've merged with Caleb's; after all they were...together for a night.

(Maybe it has to be consensual?)

That thought made him slow to a stop as guilt once again clawed at his throat. Maybe that was it? Caleb didn't willingly give himself that night so that could've blocked the bond, it made since to him anyway.

(Wait...I felt something that night. Something happened afterwards...)

Like a floodgate being opened, memories from that night came to the surface. He remembered after he came inside of Caleb's body he felt something strange happen to his body, like his skin was being set on fire, among many other painful things.

(Something like that doesn't normally happen during an orgasm.)

With a growl, Pogue stopped in front of the fireplace and slumped down into a sitting position in front of it, his eyes watching the red flames devour the wood they were burning. He forced the rest of the memories of that night back into the dark depths of his mind as they grew more detailed, not wanting to be reminded of how stupid he had been thinking that Caleb actually wanted him.

The flames in front of him wavered slightly and dimmed a few shades as his emotions turned dark and with another heavy sigh, Pogue lowered his head. Even if he managed to find a way to free Caleb how could he ever face his friend again after what he did? Did he even deserve to be near him after all of that?

"Pogue?"

The empath jumped when he heard his name and jerked his head in the direction the voice had come from. Reid was standing near the fireplace eyeing him with a confused look.

"You okay 'cause you looked like you were seriously spacing out there."

Pogue blinked and cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking. You really need to stop sneaking up on me man."

"I wasn't, it's not my fault you keep spacing every ten seconds." The blond shrugged lightly and sat down on the floor next to him.

Pogue watched him out of the corner of his eye for a moment and then turned his attention back towards the burning fire in front of him. They were back to their normal orange color and both boys seamed to loose themselves as they gazed into the fire's arms as it devoured the logs once again. Reid shuffled slightly next to him in what looked like an attempt to get comfortable but the anxiousness nipping frantically at his subconscious told the empath otherwise.

With a small groan, Pogue turned his head and locked eyes with the blonde. "Yes?"

"What?" Reid shrugged innocently, or at least attempted too.

"Apparently you want to say something so do it before you give me a headache."

The blond looked taken back but soon found his voice. "Fine, I wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

"About what happened with Chase yesterday."

Pogue eyed him closely for a second. "Which part, the one where you sold us out to Chase or when you attacked me?

Reid stiffened slightly and bit his lip with a small growl.

"He said he was going to hurt Tyler if I didn't help him."

Pogue sighed in the back of his mind and let his head fall forwards. In truth, he was still bitter at Reid for his betrayal and he seriously doubted he'd ever fully forgive the blond but only someone truly heartless wouldn't understand his reasons.

(I haven't sunk _that_ low yet thankfully.)

"It's fine Reid. Forget about it."

"Why do I have the feeling you're still pissed at me?"

"Cause I am." Pogue said evenly, his eyes focused on the fire once again. "But you're forgiven."

Reid looked like he was about to say something but a calm wave of awareness washed against the empath's mind as the blond held his tongue and joined him in watching the fire, knowing that was the best answer he was going to receive at the moment.

"How's Tyler doing?"

Reid was quiet for a few seconds and fidgeted slightly.

"He's fine. A little shaken up but he'll be fine."

(Thank god, one less worry.)

"Good. He'll be safe here I doubt Chase will–" Pogue's breath hitched slightly and he cut off sharply.

Something cold and heavy brushed against him, almost like someone's fingers were creeping up the back of his neck and into his skull. The coldness probed deeper into his skin and touched his mind. Pogue was too confused at first to recoil but as the invisible hand touched his well hidden memories –the ones about Caleb and himself – he forced his mental barricades up in order to prevent it from going any deeper.

The hand halted suddenly and tried to break through his defenses. Luckily the presence wasn't strong enough to and Pogue easily repelled it. He felt something like frustration wash back against him as the link withdrew it's self fully and retreated from his mind.

Just as it faded, Pogue felt the left side of his chest heat up with its usual warmth and he latched onto to the retreating presence. It was strong – it's power seamed almost limitless – and Pogue instantly knew it belonged to Chase. Keeping a firm hold on the strand of consciousness, Pogue tried not to wince from the feeling of being pulled out of his body and soon he felt himself being submerge in a thick sea of darkness. He instantly felt himself grow cold and he couldn't help his shiver as he searched through the darkness for something – hell anything – to lead him out of the black abyss.

He was relieved from the chill when a small image soon formed behind his closed lids. He found himself looking at a large pile of broken and burnt wood clustered around a heavy frame that looked like it had once been a building. Thick wilderness surrounded him on all sides and the more Pogue stared at the crumbled building, the colder he felt.

He was staring at what remained of Putnum barn.

(What the fuck?)

Just as quick as it had come, the image faded and Pogue's eyes snapped open. The flames in the fireplace had completely died and a hand kept waving in front of his now open eyes.

"Yo Pogue!" Reid called and snapped his fingers a few times.

Pogue's nerves jumped roughly. "What?"

"Dude, you seriously need to stop spacing like that, it's creepy as fuck man."

"Sorry." Pogue nervously mumbled and eyed the now dead fire.

(Putnum Barn?)

Just thinking the name sent an intense chill down Pogue's spine. The barn had been completely dismantled during Caleb's fight with Chase and no one had dared to go there since that night, not even Gorman.

(Is that where Caleb is?)

He tried closing his eyes and thinking Caleb once again but nothing happened. He felt Reid's eyes focus on him once again and he was quick to hide his unease.

"You alright, you're starting to freak me out."

"I'm fine. Just a headache." The empath grumbled and raised a hand to his head.

"Some headache, I thought you were gonna torch the place with that fire. It damned near burned me."

Pogue didn't say anything back; he just lowered his head and wrapped his arms tightly against his torso feeling cold.

(Putnum Barn...)

--

Gorman heaved a deep sigh as his fingers stroked the smooth surface gold surface of the trinket clutched tightly in his hand.

(After fifteen years this thing finds its way back into my house.)

Had it really been fifteen years since he last held the small item? It honestly felt like it had been a life time since that small moment when Gavin had shown it to him.

(Gavin, Roran, Richard...how could one small trinket destroy so many lives?)

The fingers holding the pendent started to tremble and Gorman dropped the small talisman onto his bed. It clanged softly as it landed, its face still aimed in the elder's direction. Gorman eyed it with a dark gaze and turned his eyes away from its golden surface.

Every single nerve inside of his body cried out for him to destroy the pendent and he was more then tempted too but his unanswered questions prevented it. He wanted to know why Richard and Gabriel didn't destroy it like he ordered them too and what was worse, their decedents were paying for it dearly.

(I feel so useless. I'm suppose to protect them damn it.)

With a glare directed towards the small pendent's direction, Gorman grabbed his cane and rose from his bed. He was tired of feeling so useless while his god children suffered and he needed something to take his mind off that damn thing.

The silence of the hall was interrupted as his cane struck the floor boards but the elder had long since grown used to the sound. He stopped outside the room Tyler was occupying and quietly stuck his head inside. The faint outline of Tyler's figure could be seen lying on the bed in the room's darkness and after seeing that the youngest covenant member was still asleep, the elder continued down the hall towards his study. Several emotions touched his mind as he neared the room, confusion, fear and anger that carried Pogue's presence in their depths. The force of the emotions rooted him to the spot for a handful of moments and Gorman hummed sadly.

(He's growing stronger every passing day, just like Gavin and Richard were at his age.)

With a small intake of breath, Gorman passed through the open doorway and automatically scanned the room for any sign of the empath. He found none at first but his eyes noticed a figure sitting on the ground in front of his fireplace, however it wasn't Pogue.

"Hello Reid."

Reid turned his head when he heard his name and gave the elder a small nod. "Hey Gorman."

The elder returned his nod and continued looking through the length of the room. His concern grew when he didn't see the empath anywhere and he turned his attention back towards Reid.

"Where's Pogue?"

The blond blinked and looked over his shoulder at the rest of the room. "I dunno, he was here five seconds ago."

Gorman's concern grew even deeper and the elder felt the air inside of the room with his powers. Pogue's emotions still lingered strongly in the air around him, meaning the empath had only been gone a short amount of time but a stronger feeling pushed its way into Gorman's subconscious: determination.

The strength of the emotion alone was enough to uproot the elder's nerves and the elder was quick to turn on his heel and move back into the hallway. He hobbled down the hall as quick as he could but as he neared the foyer, something more pressing grabbed his attention. The colony house's front door was left wide open, reviling its forest surroundings.

(No.)

Swallowing down the nerves that were starting to build inside of his throat, Gorman continued his way down the hall towards his bedroom. When he reached the doorway, his feet stopped dead cold.

The pendent was gone from his bed.

(Damn it Pogue, you don't know what you're messing with.)

With groan, Gorman fallowed the hall back towards the foyer. The door was still wide open and as he approached it, the elder looked at the house's surroundings in a desperate hope to locate the wandering boy. When he found none, an enraged yell tore from his mouth and the elder threw his cane to the ground.

(That boy will be the death of me I swear!)

--

(Alright, what the hell is so damn special about this place?)

With a growl, Pogue kicked a large chunk of wood off to the side as he made his way through the endless pile of brunt lumber. The rubble he was currently climbing through was all that remained of John Putum's once proud legacy after Caleb's clash with Chase many months ago and Pogue was seriously starting to wonder what exactly was the hell he doing here.

(This is fucking ridiculous, there's nothing here but rubble.)

The ground was stained black with ash that wafted upwards in large puffs as he walked, making him cough slightly. He climbed over another fallen support beam and used his powers to move another large piece out of his way as he neared the center of the fallen building. He couldn't feel anything in the air, which both relieved and disturbed him and he made sure to keep his mind open as he pawed through the mess, hoping he'd pick up something.

He lifted another log out of the way as he reached the center of fallen building and his feet atomically slowed to a stop. Traces of Caleb and Chase's fight was etched and scratched into every single patch of ground and wood, leaving hidden memories in their scares. Pogue eyed a large gash clawed into the fallen beam he just moved and started walking again.

However, he came to a stop after taking a few steps afterwards when his foot hit something with a loud metal clang. His eyes moved downwards and he saw a heavy looking metal ring etched into the ground; a handle of some kind. Curious, he stomped down on the ground next to it a few times and the ground under his foot jingled loosely.

Turning his eyes black, Pogue waved his arm and all of the ash and splintered wood blew away from the ground near his foot, revealing a heavy cellar door built into the floor. Unlike the rest of the barn's floor, the door wasn't burnt or ruined in anyway. It looked brand new as a matter of a fact.

The hairs on the back of Pogue's neck started rising and despite the uncomfortable feelings brewing inside of his stomach, Pogue closed his fingers together and waved his arm outwards. The door swung upwards as it opened, reveling a wide set of stairs that lead down into a thick darkness.

Heat started gathering on the left side of his chest once again and Pogue raised a hand to it. His skin was burning with more heat then it usually was, even through his layers of clothing he could still feel its warmth.

(Caleb's down there somewhere, I know he is.)

A deep breath settled his nerves and after eyeing the long trail of stairs, Pogue descended down them at cautious pace. The darkness grew even more intense the deeper he went and after stumbling a few times from it and was forced to summon a light source with his powers.

A line of candles anchored over his head automatically lit themselves, filling the small tunnel with more then enough light for him to see by and he continued downward with out anymore incidents. His legs started burning after what felt like a handful of minutes, making Pogue feel like he'd fall down if he had to go much further. Thankfully, his eyes caught sight of a narrow dirt path just a few more feet down.

(Christ what's down here, the lost kingdom?)

The line of candles continued down the straight corridor and Pogue saw no other choice but to fallow them. This portion of the tunnel was different; its walls were made of heavy stone with many drawings and inscriptions etched into their face. Most of the designs were done in blue ink and formed a strange tribal design that the empath stopped to gaze at for a moment before continuing.

He soon came upon a large set of stone doors, the blue design covered their entire surface and Pogue felt a cold sting slid down his back as he stopped in front of them. He could feel hundreds of emotions on the other side of the doors, most of them dark.

(I know this feeling. I've been here before.)

With a deep breath, Pogue raised his hands and placed them on the surface of the doors. They opened with a firm push and a heavy gust of wind blew through the opening, extinguishing all of the tiny flames of the candles.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

With a deep breath, Pogue raised his hands and placed them on the surface of the doors. They opened with a firm push and a heavy gust of wind blew through the opening, extinguishing all of the tiny flames of the candles.

Goose-bumps rose on the back of his neck and with a hard swallow, Pogue forced his feet to move forwards through the now open doors. They closed after him, causing the teen to jump slightly as they came together with a loud thud and Pogue once again found himself submerged in a thick sea of darkness. Almost immediately hundreds of emotions attacked the empath's mind, tearing straight into his skull.

A shriek tore for Pogue's mouth as his head was engulfed completely with their presence and fearing that his head might actually explode from the hundreds sensations he forced all of his energy into deflecting them. It took a few attempts but it eventually worked, drawing a sigh from Pogue's dry lips. Just as he opened his eyes, the room burst with light and Pogue couldn't help but gaze entranced at his surroundings. He was standing in the very same stone walled room that had haunted his dreams for three and a half long months.

(Holy Shit.)

The room was very large, about the size of Gorman's entire house actually, and its walls were lined with dark red bricks that matched the large pillars scattered throughout the length of the entire room. The ground under his feet was also made of heavy stone and was covered with long rows of dark red rugs. Pogue glanced over to his right and felt his blood run cold when his eyes caught sight of the long blue stone table. Candles lined the length of the entire room and all of them burned with a small red light.

Every thing was exactly the same as his dreams, down to the smallest detail.

(Finally found this damn place.)

A chill rose on the back of his neck as a strand of thoughts connected with his own.

_I was beginning to wonder when you'd show up._

Pogue jumped as a voice echoed inside of his head and forced the protective barriers around his mind up as fast as he could. The presence halted and withdrew after a moment.

"You don't make things easy, do you?" Came an amused voice behind him.

Pogue spun about and couldn't help the small gasp easing from his mouth. A figure was standing a few feet away from him but what startled the empath was the fact that it was Chase and not Caleb; Chase was in his own body. His clothing was dark and had tears in it and Pogue assumed the teen was wearing the same outfit he had battled Caleb in.

(Did he already do the ritual?)

As if he knew what the empath was thinking, Chase cleared his throat and gave a playful shrug.

"I suppose you're surprised to see me."

"Surprised is a fucking understatement." Pogue snapped back, taking a few steps away from the other boy. "Are you real?"

"Unfortunately no." Chase sighed and tried to reach for a nearby candle but the small item past through his hand like air. "I'm not real...yet."

(Thank god.)

"Where's Caleb?"

Chase watched him with an amused glint dancing in his cruel eyes. "He's around."

"Around where?"

Chase ignored his question however.

"So what do you think of my new home, charming huh? John Putnum himself discovered it and tried to obtain it's immortality before the townsfolk rioted against him. Ironic no?"

Pogue risked a small glance around the room once again. "Very. Who would've thought the golden Hastings boy hangs out in ancient pagan ritual grounds."

Chase's eyes narrowed but the smile never left his face. "So, have you decided to take me up on my offer?"

Pogue eyed him cautiously. "What offer?"

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Pogue knew Chase wouldn't buy his dumb act but he hoped it would buy him some time. The truth was he really didn't know his answer to Chase's question.

"How about the one I purposed yesterday? You still want Caleb, don't you?"

"That's beside the point." Pogue snapped.

"Is it really?"

Pogue's anger started building once again, as it usually did once Chase tried to get under his skin. He pondered Chase's question and slowly crossed his arms.

"Yes. Why the hell would you give Caleb up so easily anyway, I thought you needed him?"

"I do but once I get my body back I won't have any more use for him. I'd be more then happy to alter his memories and hand him over to you."

"All out of the kindness of your heart right, you'll forgive me if I don't believe you?"

Chase blinked and rolled his eyes. "No, out of gratitude for helping me. You can't even imagine how it feels to be ripped out of your body and forced to live in someone else's."

"It's your own fault idiot. You had to start all of this shit." Pogue snorted.

Anger poured off of Chase in powerful waves. "Pogue, do you really want to test my patience right now?"

With a dark glare, Pogue reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the small gold pendent. Chase's eyes lit up when he saw it but narrowed once again when Pogue held it arm out, signaling he was a few seconds away from slamming the thing into the heavy ground.

"Do you really want to test mine?" The empath asked darkly. "I'll fucking crush this thing if I have too."

"And I'll tear Caleb limb from limb if you do, along with Reid, Tyler and that feeble old man Gorman."

Pogue's eyes narrowed dangerously and his grip around the pendent tightened painfully. "You son of a bitch."

A smile broke out across Chase's face. "Struck another nerve have I?"

Pogue's arm started trembling as his anger grew. "I'll fucking break it, I swear."

"Before you do I think you should reconsider my offer. My body for Caleb."

Pogue glared at the older boy's face for a long period of time.

"And what's to stop you from just killing me?"

"Simple, turn around."

Pogue eyed Chase warily and risked a glance over his shoulder. The large stone table rested behind him; its blue surface looking almost black in the candle light.

"What is that?"

"It's called the Nexus Stone. John Putnum poured most of his powers into it before he died and it contains the power to pull life into our realm."

"I see it but what do you need me for?"

"Notice the crack?"

Pogue glanced at the table once again, seeing the long gash scratched into its smooth surface.

"Yeah, and?"

Chase eyed the table for a long minute. "The damn thing is broken and it can only be repaired by the person who cracked it."

"You don't say." Pogue grumbled, not really giving a damn about what Chase was talking about.

"Your grandfather Gavin cracked it fifteen years ago."

Now Pogue was slightly intrigued but he didn't let it show.

"So?"

"So Pogue..." Chase stressed, growing annoyed. "You're his blood, you can fix it. At least that's what the Book of Damnation says."

The empath looked over his shoulder once again, eyeing the long gash in the stone table. It looked like it ran straight down to the table's foundation and he was amazed the impact hadn't split the thing completely in half.

(My grandfather must've been at least three times stronger then me in order to do that.)

"So you want me to fix it for you?"

"Yes." Chase replied back, not missing a beat.

"What's in it for me?"

"What do you want?" The older boy asked impatiently.

Pogue pretended to think for a moment before he answered sternly.

"I want Caleb, by himself without you around. Now."

He expected Chase to refuse but much to his surprise, the other teen eyed him for a long time and nodded.

"Done."

(Done? He gave in that easily?)

"We have a deal then?"

Chase nodded and raised his arm, pointing towards the large open space past the stone table. "Fallow that hall, there's a door on your left."

The younger teen blinked and eyed the direction Chase had pointed at. Sure enough, there was a thin hallway curled in the wall behind the stone table and Pogue felt himself do a double take. That hallway wasn't there the last time he had looked in that direction.

(This place is growing freakier every second.)

"Go on, it's alright." Chase smiled and waved his hand, gesturing towards the hallway.

Hesitantly, Pogue took a few slow steps towards the small hallway, glancing over his shoulder at Chase in order to make sure the other teen wasn't going to attack him while his back was turned. His eyes moved towards the table as he past it, eyeing the large crack once again before he reached the hallway.

He glanced over his shoulder was surprised to discover that Chase was gone. His presence had completely disappeared from the room so Pogue decided not to even bother searching for it; knowing Chase, he was still keeping a close on him. When he reached the hall another chill attacked his skin, colder this time. He hugged his arms to himself and glanced around the walls in search of the door Chase had described. The hall was less then twenty feet long and ended with a heavy set wall but Pogue didn't see a door anywhere; the walls were solid stone with no openings.

(Son of a bitch. There's no fucking door here.)

_Of course there is, you're just not looking hard enough. _Chase's voice said into his mind, causing a cold shutter to run down Pogue's back. _See?_

Pogue glanced upwards and sure enough, a door had formed less then five feet away from him. Intrigued, he hesitantly lowered the protection around his mind enough for Chase to touch.

(How'd you do that?)

It was a few moments before Chase replied. _There's tons of magic floating around inside this place. It's easy enough to work with, hence how I created the Darkling._

(You're finest work, I'll bet.)

_Oh you haven't seen anything yet._

Chase broke the connection and Pogue gulped before he turned the handle on the door. It swung open easily enough and its interior made his heart skip a beat.

(What the fuck!?)

He was staring at the bedroom of his apartment.

--

Tyler sighed calmly and slowly let himself sink deeper into the vast hot water surrounding him. He raised his recently healed leg up in order to get a better view of it. Thanks to both Gorman and the hot water he was lounging in the swelling had gone down greatly, making the skin return to its normal pale color.

(One less worry I guess.)

He lowered his leg back into the bathtub and leaned back. He was grateful Gorman at least had a few bathtubs in the house and nice long soak sounded wonderful for his sensitive leg. Some time away from everyone else in the house sounded even better.

He scooped some of the hot water up in his hands and used it to clean some of the other sensitive areas on his body. There was a heavy bruise on his right shoulder from when Chase threw him into the wall along with the cut on his lip from all of the punches he took.

The handle of the bathroom door jingled softly as someone turned it and Tyler didn't pick up on the sound until the door was opened. He tried to sink lower into the tub to conceal his nakedness since he didn't have time to reach for his clothes. His fears were calmed greatly when Reid stepped into the doorway.

"Oh shit– sorry."

A slight blush came to Reid's face and the blond turned his back to the room. Tyler couldn't help his grin from the sight and felt his body calm.

"It's okay Reid, you can come in."

The blond risked a glance over his shoulder and closed the door, turning towards the younger boy shyly.

"Feeling any better?"

"Yeah." Tyler sighed and sank back down into the water.

Reid circled the room nervously before he sank down to the floor near the head of the bathtub. "How's your leg?"

"It's fine." Tyler mumbled and raised his leg a short ways out of the water. "See?"

The blond eyed the limb momentarily and sighed deeply. "Good."

Tyler gazed at the Reid's face for a moment before scooting closer to the side of the tub. Reid quickly got the meaning of the gesture and wound his arms around the younger boy's wet shoulders, not caring that his shirt was getting stained.

The two boys huddled together for a moment until Reid broke their silence.

"Ty, I need to tell you something."

"Hm?" Tyler hummed against him, not moving away from the blond's chest.

"It's my fault Chase came after you."

Tyler stiffened against him. "What?"

"He...Chase wanted me to get the pendent from Pogue and when I didn't– he was supposed to leave you out of it."

Tyler moved away from him. "What do you mean?"

Reid lowered his head slightly. "I couldn't get the fucking thing away from Pogue so Chase went after you because of it."

"Why where you trying to steal the pendent from Pogue?"

"Because he was gonna hurt you, I didn't have much of a choice."

"So it was my fault then?" Tyler mumbled darkly.

"No, it was mine, Tyler–"

"Why dose everyone always feel like they have to protect me?"

Reid was rendered silent for a moment. "Ty–"

"Hand me a towel please."

The blond hesitantly did what he was asked and Tyler wasted no time rising from the water and wrapping the cloth around his waste. Reid tried not to look hurt from the behavior, even though Tyler's movements were at deliberate act to keep the blond away.

"Ty listen–"

"You know, I really get tired of being the youngest sometimes."

Reid raised an eyebrow in confusion but Tyler cut him off before he could speak.

"I don't need to be babied or protected Reid. I can take care of my self."

With that, he moved past the blond and into the hallway, not caring that he was almost naked. Reid stood in the bathroom dumbfounded and with a heavy exhale of breath, the blond swore softly.

"Fuck, why the hell can't something ever go right?"

--

(Jesus Christ, everything's here.)

Pogue's eyes kept bouncing off the walls of the room he was standing in, hardly believing what they saw. This couldn't be his bedroom, there was no freaking way. He glanced over his shoulder and frowned when the door he just pasted through faded into the wall, leaving him stranded inside his fake bedroom; he still refused to believe any part of this was real.

He moved towards the bed in the center of the room and blinked heavily when he noticed the bedding was the exact same type he used when he last visited his home. He checked his dresser, shelves and anything else he stumbled upon and felt himself grow dizzy when he discovered everything he owned was there.

(This can't be real, there's no way.)

The sound of a door opening and closing loudly grabbed his attention and he turned to meet an even more puzzling sight.

"Caleb?"


	37. Chapter 37

**NC-17** warning

**Chapter 37**

(Jesus Christ, everything's here.)

Pogue's eyes kept bouncing off the walls of the room he was standing in, hardly believing what they saw. This couldn't be his bedroom, there was no freaking way. He glanced over his shoulder and frowned when the door he just pasted through faded into the wall, leaving him stranded inside his fake bedroom; he still refused to believe any part of this was real.

He moved towards the bed in the center of the room and blinked heavily when he noticed the bedding was the exact same type he used when he last visited his home. He checked his dresser, shelves and anything else he stumbled upon and felt himself grow dizzy when he discovered everything he owned was there.

(This can't be real, there's no way.)

The sound of a door opening and closing loudly grabbed his attention and he turned to meet an even more puzzling sight. A figure had entered the room, the newly made door disappearing almost instantly as it closed and Pogue's eyes were left frozen on the person's frame.

With a hard swallow, Pogue spoke up.

"Caleb?"

The figure remained passive, not make a single sound but its soft brown eyes remained glued on the empath's face. At first his eye refused to believe the sight in front of him, knowing he'd been fooled many times before but his resolve was growing weaker the longer those eyes stared at him. It did look like Caleb, at least enough for Pogue's chest to tighten painfully again.

His chest tightened even more as Caleb took a few steps towards him. His eyes held a small glint in their depths that Pogue's couldn't name and it continued to deepen the closer Caleb came to him. Less then a second later, they were face to face and Pogue finally realized the emotion swimming in the depths of those brown gems; hunger.

(Something's not right.)

One of Caleb's hands reached out gently and touched his shoulder, sending waves of warmth through the empath's body. Pogue shuttered and moved his eyes towards the other boy confused. Caleb's dark eyes were roaming up and down his body hungrily, making the other teen grow more uncomfortable every passing second.

Feeling his curiosity get the better of him, Pogue sent a small strand of his powers outward. It touched Caleb's subconscious but he didn't feel anything, there was no emotions or even a hint of thought in the boy's mind and Pogue withdrew his powers furiously.

It wasn't Caleb; the _thing_ in front of him wasn't even a real person! It's presence – or if it could even be called that – felt empty and hallow, like that of a doll and thoroughly angered, Pogue pushed the figure away.

"Son of a bitch."

Caleb gave him a hurt look and tried to step forwards and once again Pogue shoved him back.

"Get away from me!"

The boy in front of him recoiled, obviously hurt from the rejection and took a few steps back like he was ordered too. Pogue watched him with a dark look, his anger spiking dramatically. He growled Chase's name inside his head a few times and unsurprisingly he heard the bastard's voice not long after wards?

_Something wrong?_

(Yes, what the fuck is this shit?)

_You asked for Caleb._

(Does this look like Caleb to you?!)

Chase was silent for a few seconds and then hummed happily

_I figured you needed a little relaxation. I created him just for you._

(Created? What the hell do you...?)

The full meaning of Chase's words sunk in as a small handful of emotions touched Pogue's mind, hunger, need, lust, all of them coming from the person –_ thing _– standing less then five feet away from him.

(Oh Christ, a fucking Incubus.)

_Smart boy, have fun._

With a dark laugh, Chase's presence withdrew from Pogue's mind and the empath was left alone, well almost alone.

"Fuck..." Pogue groaned and flopped down on the edge of the bed.

He was surprised to discover the mattress and the bedding felt exactly the same as his own and his body automatically relaxed into the plush surface. A set of soft footsteps grabbed his attention and when he looked up Pogue realized he was being watched. The figure across the room – he refused to call it Caleb – was watching him with a slightly confused expression.

It took a few cautious steps forwards and when it realized Pogue wasn't going to push it away again, it knelt in front of him. The empath eyed him coldly, his fingers coiling into fists as the thing leaned closer.

"Get away from me."

The creature – Pogue couldn't think of a better word to call it – ignored him and reached for his hand, its long fingers gently caressing the soft, warm skin. The small touch sent a chill up Pogue's arm and the empath couldn't help his shutter. The touch felt wonderful, the thing's fingers were so warm and inviting but Pogue forced himself to push the creature away again.

"I said, get away from me."

The creature raised its head and gazed at him with expressive eyes.

"Why?"

Pogue blinked, he wasn't aware the thing could speak. "Because you're not real."

"The real Caleb doesn't want you." The creature spoke darkly, its words tearing straight into Pogue's heart. "But I do."

Pogue's heart twisted painfully inside his chest to the point where it felt like it would tear in half. Sure the thing in front of him wasn't Caleb, it wasn't even real but none of that stopped it from being completely right or from the small traces of tears gathering in Pogue's eyes.

"Stop it."

"I want you and I'm right here. What makes you think Caleb deserves you anyhow, he's had eighteen years and who did he pick?"

The creature's smug look was quickly changed when Pogue's knuckles slammed into its jaw, sending it crashing to the floor. It was bad enough that Chase had created this thing and forged it in Caleb's image but did it have to pick up the fucker's attitude as well? A pained groan eased from the crumpled body at his feet but before Pogue could move, the creature straightened upright, tasting the blood in the corner of his mouth curiously.

"Feels good doesn't it?" The creature who dared to call its self Caleb asked as it slowly inched closer to him. "You can hurt me all you like, I can take it."

Pogue's eyes narrowed furiously and a growl bubbled inside of his throat. "Fine."

His knuckles once again sank into the creature's jaw but it didn't recoil this time, it just wavered on its knees disoriented and reached for Pogue's hand once it righted it's self. Its fingers curled around the empath's wrist and Pogue once again raised his hand in anger. The creature didn't flinch at all and Pogue reluctantly lowered his hand with a growl.

"I swear if you didn't look like Caleb I'd–"

"You'd what?"

"I'd crush you." Pogue grumbled and wrapped his fingers around the thing's throat to make his point.

The incubus didn't look concerned and replied by pulling Pogue's hand to its chest. Through the material of the creature's clothing the empath's fingers could feel the immense heat the figure's skin radiated. A sigh eased from Pogue's throat without his consent and the empath quickly pulled his hand away.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" The creature asked innocently.

"Stop fucking seducing me!" Pogue growled angrily and shoved the incubus away as he got to his feet.

He stalked towards the section of the room he first came in and frowned when he couldn't find the door leading out. All of the walls were solid, even the door leading out of the bedroom and into the hallway was gone; he was trapped.

"Where the fuck is the door?"

"It only appears when you want it too." Came the creature's answer.

Pogue gave an annoyed scowl and willed for the door to appear. The wall wavered slightly but no door appeared. He growled and tried again, focusing his thoughts harder and kicked the wall with his foot when the door still didn't appear.

(This whole place is fucked! I want out of here dammit.)

He aimed a few more kicks at the wall but a thick pair of arms wrapping around his shoulders forced him to a stop. The incubus moved its arms lower, pressing its bulk gently against Pogue's back. Warmth seeped into the empath's body from the contact and no matter how hard he told himself to do so, Pogue couldn't bring himself to push the creature away this time.

"Why isn't the door fucking appearing?"

"Because a part of you doesn't want it too obviously." The creature breathed against Pogue's neck, making him shiver.

"That's a lie."

"Is it really?"

The creature's words once again cut straight through Pogue's resolve and the empath's head sagged forwards weakly. He tried willing for the door to appear once again but just as he expected, it didn't appear. Did a part of him honestly not want it too?

The creature's arms moved upwards and his fingers gently encouraged Pogue to turn his head. The teen did so without a fight, his pale blue eyes looking completely lost and defeated. The incubus's eyes roamed over his body hungrily and with a soft smile, the creature leaned forwards and brought their lips together.

Pogue's head jerked away at first, expecting the thing's lips to feel cold and slimy but remarkably they were soft and warm, almost like the real thing. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Pogue smacked himself for comparing this thing to Caleb, this poor excuse for a life form would never measure up to his friend. Their mouths parted a heartbeat later and Pogue gazed at the thing's face, hoping he'd find an answer of what he should do next. The incubus merely smiled and lightly ran a hand through Pogue's soft blond hair.

"It's okay for you to give in." It breathed softly against Pogue's neck. "I can change into someone else if you want."

Pogue ran his eyes up and down the incubus's body and shook his head sadly. "No, I don't want anyone else."

The incubus – Caleb – smiled once again and pulled the empath closer, joining their mouths once again. The creature's mouth was warm and velvety, making Pogue want to run his tongue through its entire length. Its hands were even warmer as they ran up and down the empath's chest, slowly creeping under his shirt.

(Push it away, it's not Caleb.)

Pogue moaned as the soft fingers gently caressed his lower stomach and he voiced no objections when the creature pushed him back towards the bed. His knees buckled when they were backed into the mattress and he pulled the creature down with him as he tumbled onto it.

(It's not Caleb dammit!)

The last of Pogue's resolve was soon silenced as the incubus's hot mouth pressed against the skin of his stomach. A moan eased from the teen's lips from the wonderful tickle and he couldn't help arching upwards. His fingers found their way into the thing's – Caleb's – soft hair as the mouth traveled upwards.

The empath's shirt was soon pulled off, giving the creature full access to the well defined chest withering under him. Pogue bit his lip as the touches grew deeper and the incubus took the opportunity to fumble with the fly of Pogue's jeans.

"Just relax." It purred against the teen's stomach. "Soon you'll forget all about Caleb."

"I doubt that." Pogue mumbled silently.

"Try me."

Pogue narrowed his eyes and pushed the creature's head back down to his stomach.

--

(That's a good boy Pogue.)

Chase chuckled happily as he disconnected his powers from the room Pogue was in and blinked his eyes a few times to regain their focus.

(I knew it would only be a matter of time. Pogue's too easy.)

With an amused snort, Chase turned away from the door and walked down the length of the hallway to the large, center room. His eyes instantly moved towards the Nexus Stone and a heavy sigh eased from his pale lips.

(Soon. I'll be whole soon.)

He moved his gaze away from the stone table and let it fall to the heavy floor under his feet. No more feeling lost and torn in pieces, no more feeling incomplete. He'd be in his own body soon, he'd be whole.

(Soon.)

In the mean time, however, he had a small errand to do. With a gentle shake of his head, Chase crossed the room and headed for the large, double doors.

--

"Oh Christ." Pogue moaned as the hot mouth constricted around his aching erection.

The figure kneeling between his legs eyed him hungrily and gave the hard flesh one last heavy lick and released it from his warm mouth. Pogue moaned once again, this time in frustration but he was quickly silenced as the incubus's mouth moved over his own.

His fingers grabbed the bare muscled back of the warm body over him and in one motion Pogue rolled both of them over until he was on top. Caleb's brown eyes gazed up at him in a lustful haze and Pogue felt himself grow powerless under their stare, just like the last time he had the older boy pinned under him.

(It's not him!)

The empath ignored the nagging voice inside of his head and leaned down to the other boy's neck. The skin that met his lips was warm and so intoxication that Pogue moaned from the increasing pressure in his lower regions.

"Yes." The incubus moaned in Caleb's deep voice, encouraging the empath to continue.

Pogue's hands ghosted down the pale skinned hips of the body under him, roughly pulling them open and around his waist, not caring in the slightest if he hurt this creature. The deeper part of him wanted too, he wanted to make this _thing_ suffer for taking Caleb's form and the rest of him was so damn horney any other logical thought was impossible.

He trusted into the creature roughly, stretching him without preparation and tearing the soft muscle open. The creature hissed in pain but didn't make a move to stop him. It moaned as Pogue started thrusting into its body hard and much to the empath's surprise it seamed to be enjoying the pain.

(It's created for sex, why would it?)

The creature wailed in pleasure from whatever dark region it found it and arched against Pogue's shaking body, silently begging for more. He halted momentarily and changed the angle of his thrusts, slamming harder into the hot tightness clenching around him. He was almost ashamed to admit hurting this poor creature felt good.

The muscles in his lower abdomen tightened once again, signaling he was growing closer to climaxing. The pressure in his groin grew unbearable until he finally released himself into the incubus's willing body, sending the last trace of Pogue's energy with it. His arms shook violently and he collapsed onto the bed in a panting heap.

He could hear the creature panting deeply next to him and after what felt like a few minutes had passed, it rolled towards him. Its arms gently embraced Pogue's trembling shoulders and the empath merely glared and rolled away, not wanting the thing to touch him.

Unfortunately, the thing didn't handle the rejection well and repositioned its arms around the teen's body. Pogue was to far gone in his thoughts to remove them.

(What the fuck did I just do?)


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

(All quiet on the western front.)

Chase eyed the old, rundown house for a few more minutes before rising to his feet. The house seemed just as silent and empty as it usually did but he knew better. He brushed the dirt from his knees and rolled his shoulders.

(Show time.)

With a slow grin, Chase turned his eyes black and extended his powers outwards. A cold chill went through his skin and with a pleased sigh; Chase raised his hand and ran his fingers through his recently grown long hair. He checked his hands and was pleased to see his fingers were longer.

(This is going to be too easy.)

--

Pogue's eyes fluttered sleepily under their closed lids but the empath hardly felt the desire to open them. While he had no idea when he had managed to slip off to sleep, he was beyond exhausted and relished the opportunity to rest somewhere comfortable.

Warmth was pressed tightly all around him, a feeling Pogue was more then content to get used to and the teen found himself automatically curling into the sensation. A shadow moved across his closed lids and reluctantly Pogue's eyes fluttered open. The first thing he noticed was the arm lying against his chest lazily and his eyes followed the limb towards a well-muscled shoulder.

He blinked his eyes a few more times, hardly believing the sight that greeted him. Caleb was sleeping peacefully next to him, his breath coming in thin puffs that blew against the side of Pogue's chest, raising goose bumps on the skin. The empath watched the enthralling sight for a few short moments before the events of the past few hours caught up with him.

Remembering the body lying next to him wasn't nothing more then a mindless doll Chase created, Pogue angrily shrugged the arm off his waist. How many times would he fall for that demented fucker's tricks? Ashamed and even more angry, Pogue rolled out of the bed – he still refused to call it his own, nothing in this damn room was his – and rubbed his face with his hands.

Damn Chase, he should've known that prick wouldn't give up Caleb so easily. He should've crushed that damn pendent when he had the chance; maybe then Chase would stop dicking around. The creature behind him sighed softly and Pogue felt the muscles inside his chest tighten painfully. Its appearance, its voice, everything about it was exactly like Caleb. It made his heart feel like it was in an icy grip, the exact same feeling he'd get whenever he was around the real Caleb.

(Christ that feels like years ago.)

While he knew it was impossible for three and a half months to be longer then a year, all of the shit he'd been through sure as hell made it feel like it. Four months ago, his life was simple, he wasn't a hundred percent happy with it, but at least Caleb was around to both ease his pain and increase it to an unbearable level.

With a sigh, Pogue numbly reached for his discarded clothes and started pulling them on. A shadow darkened the floor underneath his feet and feeling like someone was standing in front of him, Pogue slowly raised his head. A dark clothed figure stared down at him and after a few tense moments, the empath was relieved to see it wasn't Chase.

"Good morning." William Danvers smiled darkly before his hand swung forwards and slammed into Pogue's stomach.

The impact knocked the teen off the side of the bed and sent him sprawling across the floor. Pogue's loud yelp turned into a pained growl as he tried to regain his balance.

"What the fuck William?"

The elder's fingers latched around Pogue's neck and with a dark growl, William pulled the empath off the ground until they were face to face.

"You selfish brat, do you have any idea what you've done?"

Pogue tried to speak but the intense pressure around his throat made it difficult. His shock was also interfering with his ability to speak. Since when was William strong enough to touch him, never the less _strangle_ him? He clawed at the powerful fingers at his throat but he wasn't nearly strong enough to force them off.

"William–"

"Was that sorry excuse of a creature entertaining enough for you? Was he _better_ then _my son_?"

"William, please–"

"You were supposed to help him!"

"I am–"

"You've doomed him!" The elder yelled, the entire room seemed to shake from his anger.

Those three words made Pogue's blood run cold. "What?"

William narrowed his eyes dangerously and threw Pogue back down to the floor with a loud thud. The empath coughed as his chest heaved, trying to force air into his burning lungs now that William's strong fingers were gone from his throat.

"You're unbelievable, is there no intelligence in that damned head of yours? I can't believe Caleb was naive enough to think you could help him."

At that, Pogue turned his head and eyed the elder closely. He tried voicing his confusion, but his attempts died inside his burning throat before they could surface. Apparently, William had a pretty good guess what Pogue's question was because the elder answered him a short while later.

"Yes, Caleb was the one who wanted me to find you because he knew you'd help him. Apparently my son was wrong."

The last few words were said with a growl that made Pogue's insides feel cold once again.

"I am helping him, damn it..." Pogue snarled back and then coughed violently afterwards. "Chase won't have any more use for him when he's in his own body."

William blinked, his body standing completely still and Pogue hoped the elder would believe him. However, his hope was soon shattered as William took another step forwards and his fist crashed across the side of Pogue's mouth.

"And you honestly believe that boy's words?" The elder made his point with another bone-shattering punch. "The ritual will kill him, you moron!"

Pogue jerked his head upwards, ignoring the intense pain running though his body. "What?"

--

"Are you gonna ignore me all fucking day?"

Tyler turned his gaze away from the large window he was sitting near and eyed Reid coldly, giving the blond an obvious answer to his question.

"Jesus Christ, Tyler." Reid groaned and flopped heavily against the couch he was sitting on. "I'm sorry, okay?"

"For what?"

"I don't know, for whatever the hell you're mad at me for."

"Real original, Reid." The younger boy mumbled and turned his head back towards the window.

"Well fuck, Ty, what the hell do you want me to say? I don't know what the fuck you're mad at me for but lately you've been tearing my head off every day it seems for one reason or another. I don't know what the hell to do anymore."

A jolt of regret tugged at Tyler's heart but the younger covenant member refused to show it. He was tired of always being treated like he was nothing more then a child to anyone. He was tired of being left out of the information loop, especially when it concerned him or his well being.

"What you can _do, _Reid, is stop fucking treating me like I'm some helpless damsel you have to rescue all the time. I'm tired of being completely oblivious to everything."

Reid blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Why didn't you tell me about Chase?"

His question seemed to strike a nerve somewhere inside of the blond because Reid seemed to curl in on himself.

"Because."

"Because, why?"

"Because I didn't want you to worry, alright?"

"You didn't want me to– Reid you hurt Pogue because of me!" Tyler practically shouted, not caring if Gorman heard them arguing or not.

"No. Pogue damn near took my head off because of you..." Reid snapped back, almost immediately regretting his outburst when Tyler's eyes darkened, signaling the boy was clearly hurt by his words. "Fuck, Ty, I didn't mean it like that."

"Then how did you mean it?" The younger boy asked darkly, turning his head away, wounded. "Apparently I'm nothing more then a child to everyone."

He knew his remark would earn an angry outburst from Reid but much to his surprise, the blond remained completely silent and got to his feet a moment later. Tyler watched him out of the corner of his eyes, half expecting him to storm out of the room. However, Reid didn't leave the room; instead, he slowly approached the window Tyler was sitting in front of and crouched down beside the younger boy.

"That's all you think you are to me?"

"You haven't really given me a reason to think otherwise, none of you have." Tyler mumbled softly, more hurt then angry.

"Ty."

Reid's fingers reached out and lightly touched the younger boy's shoulder. Tyler willed himself not to react to the blonde's touch, no matter how much he wanted to just curl in Reid's arms once again.

"I attacked Pogue because Chase ordered me to." The blond whispered ashamedly. "I did it to protect you."

"You're always protecting me, why? I can take care of myself damn it."

"I'd do anything to protect you Tyler, I love you."

There they were again, the three small words that always tugged painfully at Tyler's heartstrings when he heard them.

"Reid–"

The rest of the words dyed inside of the younger boy's throat as a figure entered the room and both boys' turned their heads towards it. Thankfully, it wasn't Gorman and both teens released a small sigh of relief.

Pogue eyed them with a curious expression and shook his head. "Want me to give you two a few minutes?"

"Dude, there you are. Where the hell did you go this morning? Gorman's been tearing the house apart looking for you." Reid asked as he removed his arms from Tyler's shoulders and got to his feet.

Pogue shrugged half-heartedly. "Went to go check on something, nothing serious."

"Yeah, well, tell that to Gorman, he's been going nuts all freakin' day."

"I'm sure he has." Pogue replied darkly and raised his arm in the air.

Tyler saw the movement out of the corner of his eye, immediately noticing that Pogue's eyes were turning black.

"Reid!"

His shout didn't reach the blond in time and before he could blink, Reid was thrown to the floor by a strong wave of Pogue's powers. Tyler bolted to his feet, ready to defend himself but he soon found himself thrown to the wall behind him and pinned to its surface. A cry tore from his lips as he tried to fight against the hold on his body but it was no use, the force was too intense for him to break.

Footsteps soon grabbed his attention and when Tyler glanced upwards, it wasn't Pogue standing in front of him.

"Hello, Tyler." Caleb purred darkly as he stepped closer.

--

(Goddamn it, William.)

Pogue hissed as he lightly ran his fingers across his bruised face, hoping to god that nothing would feel broken. The cause of his injures was sitting a few feet away, his dark eyes boring deeply into Pogue's skull.

"You deserve worse. Be thankful I'm not strong enough to do more."

"And you're lucky I can't fucking touch you." Pogue snapped back. "Although god only knows how the hell you were able to do this."

"I can do a lot in this place boy, don't test my patience."

Pogue rolled his eyes bitterly, but forced his remark to remain silent and asked a more pressing question. "What do you mean the ritual will kill Caleb?"

"It means, boy, that if Chase performs that godforsaken spell my son will die. It substitutes one life for another. Do I need to spell it out for you?"

"Fuck off!" The empath snapped, his temper had already risen way beyond his control.

The elder Danvers eyed him with disdain. "You're just as useless as I feared you'd be."

"Gee thanks, it's not like you're any fucking help either. You could've told me this when you first spoke to me."

"My apologies, I thought I made it perfectly clear you couldn't let that boy go through with this."

"You could've been clearer!"

"Would you have listened? Caleb suffered alone for three months before you tried to help him."

"I didn't know where the hell he was, William, none of us did! Where the hell were you?"

"I was protecting him! Which is more then I can say you have been doing."

With an enraged cry, Pogue lunged forwards and swung as hard as he could at William's face, channeling as much of his powers into the attack as he could. It connected, heavily, and William stumbled for a few short feet before he regained his footing. For a while, the two men seemed frozen, neither of the two daring to move until the elder Danvers raised a hand to the side of his mouth.

His lip wasn't bleeding but Pogue felt for sure it would have been if William was human, hell he knew if the fucker were flesh and blood, he'd be sprawled across the floor. Pogue risked a glance at his hand, which was still frozen in the air and blinked. His knuckles were split open from the impact and a few, dark drips of blood ran down the back of his hand.

"Fine, be Chase's little puppet." William growled darkly, straightening himself up. "But if you let that son of a bitch perform the ritual I won't hold back. I'll tear every goddamn piece of flesh from your bones if you put my only son in danger."

Pogue finally tore his gaze away from his hand and gazed at William fearfully, hardly bring himself to believe what he had just done.

"William–"

The lights in the bedroom dimmed as William vanished from its center, leaving Pogue alone, or as close to alone as the empath could get with the incubus still sleeping undisturbed in the bed behind him.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

Pogue bit the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out as he lightly felt the torn skin of his bloodied hands. His knuckles were still bleeding from the contact to William's jaw and the empath honestly feared the sharp stings coming from his hand were never going to fade.

(Fuck, what the hell have I gotten myself into?)

Pogue thumped his head against the mattress behind him and closed his eyes, not wanting to see the large room was left alone in. His room, he was alone in a fucked up place that was suppose to look like his bedroom but everything felt wrong.

(This place is wrong.)

The empath shivered a moment later; there was something dark in the air that kept biting at the back of his subconscious. After a moment passed Pogue felt himself squirm slightly as it grew stronger, almost like there was more then one presence in the air around him. Growing slightly uncomfortable, Pogue drew his knees to his chest and forced himself to focus on one thing in an attempt to block the feelings out.

(Come on, keep it together. Remember what Gorman always used to tell you, focus on one thing. Keep it together.)

The feelings wouldn't yield so he tried harder. He thought of his bike and then tried reciting the lyrics to random song in his head when it didn't help. It wasn't working, if anything all it did was make the presence in the air around him try harder to invade his mind. He couldn't describe the emotions flowing through his head if he tried, they were either to dark or too faint for him to focus on but one thing was clear, they were going to drive him insane if he didn't block them out.

A small image of his family popped into his head and not finding anything else to work, Pogue focused on it intently, ignoring the tightening of his throat from the memories. His father's face came into view along with his mother's. For a while, the images worked and he was able to relax until a hand running along his shoulder grabbed his attention. With a jolt, his eyes snapped open and he jumped away from the source, causing the figure lying on the bed behind him to chuckle softly.

"Don't be so jumpy, it's only me."

Pogue glared over his shoulder at now awakened incubus and roughly shoved its hand off his shoulder. "Don't touch me."

"Still being difficult I see."

The empath sent a glare over his shoulder and scooted a few feet away from the bed, trying to ignore the figure behind him. Sadly it didn't work, the incubus merely slid off the bed to the floor, next to him. Its hand caressed the side of Pogue's arm once again, completely ignoring the fact that the empath kept moving his arm away from the contact.

"I said, don't touch me."

"You didn't have a problem with me touching you during the night." The creature giggled in Caleb's voice. "If I recall, you begged for it."

The creature's smug look quickly disappeared when Pogue violently shoved it to the floor.

"If you're not gone in the next few seconds–"

"You'll do what? Hit me?" The creature laughed as it righted it's self.

"No, I'll fucking kill you." The empath snapped back.

At that, the creature laughed. "Sure Pogue, you'll kill me."

The remark caught him slightly off guard and Pogue gave a wounded growl.

"I fucking will if you don't stop talking."

"Right." The creature purred darkly and slyly crawled back in front of him, its long legs parting as he scooted closer to the empath. "We both know it's an empty threat."

They were now face to face and Pogue didn't even try to his shiver as the incubus curled Caleb's long legs around his hips, drawing the creature even closer. It eventually wormed its way back into Pogue's lap and the empath shuttered heavily as their naked skin touched once again. Pogue had to summon every once of restraint he had in order to prevent his fingers from touching the warm figure currently straddling him and looked the creature dead in the eye, trying hard to ignore the fact that it was Caleb's brown eyes he was actually looking into.

"Think I won't do it?"

A smile lit up Caleb's face as the creature grinned.

"No, I know for a fact you won't."

"Really?" Pogue scoffed, not convinced.

"Yeah, you won't kill me because you can't."

"What makes you think I can't?"

"Cause I look like Caleb." The creature replied simply. "And I know for a fact that you wouldn't dream of hurting him."

Pogue narrowed his eyes into thin slits and turned away from the creature, not wanting to hear anymore. However, the creature was persistent.

"But unfortunately you have hurt him, haven't you? Just like you hurt me." Caleb's lookalike drawled, lightly tracing the thin scratches on the soft skin of his thighs that were done by none other then Pogue's very hands. "Not that _I_ mind though."

He tried to resist it but Pogue soon felt his eyes drawn to the thin, white scratches and a heavy weight settled against his insides. Even though he knew the thing in front of him was nothing more then a sick creation made by Chase, Pogue couldn't help feeling sick for hurting it.

With a hard, mental sigh, Pogue pushed the creature away.

"Leave."

"I will when you want me too."

"Then I want you to leave."

Growing irritated, the incubus rolled his eyes once again. "So you say. But a part of you apparently doesn't other wise I wouldn't be here."

(What the fuck?)

Once again the creature sensed the comment biting at the back of Pogue's mind before the empath voiced it.

"You don't want to be alone in here, its okay to admit it. You're scared."

"I'm not–" Pogue's growl soon turned into a yelp as another presence lightly clawed at the back of his mind once again.

Caleb's long fingers traced along his jaw shortly afterwards and Pogue felt himself relax into them almost instantly and the pestering inside his head soon halted, almost like the creature it's self was blocking the intrusions. With a small sigh of relief, Pogue slowly opened his eyes– he didn't even notice how tightly closed until he saw how blurry the room was– and was met by the same brown eyes that had haunted his thoughts for many years.

"See, I can be useful." The incubus said softly, the tips of his long fingers still caressing the side of Pogue's face. "Can _he_ do that for you?"

Pogue growled quietly, growing more annoyed after ever word. It wasn't bad enough this thing looked like Caleb, it was on its own personal crusade to prove it was better! That alone was good cause for Pogue to knock that smirk off it's face with his fist. The creature in his arms must've sensed his intentions because it quickly removed its protection from Pogue's mind, leaving the empath completely open to the other feelings roaming around in the air.

In a panic, Pogue tried to protect in his mind by throwing up his mental shields but they were quickly penetrated by all of the hostel feelings in the air. At once, hundreds of feelings flooded into his mind, tearing into the back of his skull. The pain traveled down Pogue's spine a moment later, white hot and blinding and Pogue crumpled under their attack, falling to the floor in a crumpled heap.

The intrusions halted a moment later as a heavy barrier was placed around his mind and Pogue felt himself being pulled into a strong pair of arms afterwards.

"See what I mean? Empath's never last long in this place, it drives them insane." The incubus cooed in Caleb's deep voice, running his fingers through Pogue's soft blond locks. "They can't touch you as long as I'm here."

Pogue couldn't bring himself to speak over his labored pants, the intrusion was too intense and his mind was still reeling from the shock of it. He couldn't even shrug the thing's arms off of him and after that event he wasn't sure he even wanted too. The only thing keeping the painful things in the air away was the creature that had the nerve to look and sound like Caleb. He was stuck here with that damn thing!

--

Reid awoke with a start as his body was slammed against the floor heavily. With a pained groan, his eyes slowly fluttered open just in time to see a pair of feet walk by his head.

"I'm sorry, did that hurt?" Caleb asked, faking concern.

The blond groaned as he tried to rub the back of his head but found he could even raise his arms and groaned once again. "You asshole."

Caleb gave the thick rope around Reid's hands a tight twist, hard enough to make the blond wince. "Can't have you getting rowdy again, now can I?"

Reid glared at him but his attention was soon diverted when his eyes caught sight of another figure lying on the floor a few short feet away from him.

"Gorman?"

The elder lay crumpled on the ground, his back to the blond. For a heart-stopping moment, Reid feared the elder was dead but the almost faint movement from the old man's shoulders singled he was still breathing and relief swelled inside of Reid's chest. It lingered for a moment before another more pressing thought entered Reid's mind; Tyler!

"Where's Tyler?" Reid growled, narrowing his eyes at the man towering above him.

"Baby boy is just fine, don't worry."

Caleb's tone was even but all it did was increase Reid's anger.

"If you fucking lay one hand on him again I'll fucking kill you."

A laugh eased from Caleb's lips, it was cold and empty of any emotion other then malice. "Right, so far everyone one of you has threatened me with that and guess what, I'm still here."

Reid's answer came in the form of a growl. "Untie me and find out for yourself then."

Caleb stared down at him, his brown eyes boring down into the blond's face and with a dark grin, Caleb tilted his head back and gazed up towards the room's high ceiling. Reid watched him warily but before the blond could do anything, Caleb's head moved downwards. His eyes were a piercing pale blue color and Reid felt himself squirm under their gaze.

"No Reid, you don't want to kill me. In fact, all you want to do at the moment is go to sleep."

Reid blinked and flinched mentally. "What the fuck?"

"_Go to sleep."_ Caleb said evenly but there was a dark trimmer to his words, almost like another person was saying them. _"And you won't wake up until I'm gone."_

For what felt like a long strand of moments, Reid gaped up at the older boy like he was ready to throttle him but suddenly a feeling of wariness came over him. His eyelids soon started feeling heavy and against his will, his body started shutting down.

(No!)

Using all of his strength, Reid tried to fight the sudden feeling off but it soon became too much and against every once of his will, Reid felt himself close his eyes.

Chase watched quietly as Reid's head fell to the floor. He felt a cold feeling run down his back afterwards. With a sharp intake of breath, Chase raised his hand, flexing his fingers and turning it over a few times before he lowered it when he realized he was controlling its movements. That was a handy gift he just used but it wasn't his.

(Not that I'm complaining or anything.)

Slowly, Chase moved through the room and locked the door behind him with his powers. If he was going to coax Tyler out of his powers he was going to need some time and no interruptions. His feet sounded heavy as they moved across the wooden floor of the empty hall but the sounds were soon silenced as Chase past by a mirror.

(What the hell?)

Chase blinked and stared at the figure in the mirror, watching it closely. It wasn't Caleb's face that gazed back at him or even his own, it was someone he didn't recognize. Someone with dark hair and skin so pale it almost looked white. It stared at him with a pair of pale blue eyes that bore right into the back of Chase's mind, sending shivers down his back and just as the feeling grew intense, the figure smiled darkly.

Chase felt himself blink and when his eyes opened he saw the figure was gone. The only thing in the mirror was Caleb's reflection and it looked just as confused as he felt. His throat started to tighten and before any other feelings could wash over him, Chase forced himself to calm and moved away from the mirror.

(I want my body back. Now.)

--

_Pogue wake up_

Pogue groaned as a small voice echoed inside of his head but in his exhausted state he chose to ignore it. He finally got himself to settle in a light sleep and he wasn't in any hurry to leave the only peace he knew he'd find in this damned place.

_Pogue_, the voice persisted, growing annoyed from the lack of response.

The empath growled mentally and slowly opened his eyes. His surroundings came in the form of a dark red blur and he blinked a few times to clear the haze from his eyes. He was lying on the floor near a bed, his bed, and his fingers were covered with something warm and wet. As he straightened upright, Pogue drew his hand close and with a sharp intake of breath he realized what his fingers were covered with, blood.

(What the hell?)

Pogue shot upwards and moved his eyes about the room until he spotted the blood's source, the incubus lay a few feet away from him, it's pale skin covered with large splashes of crimson blood stains. Pogue was across the floor and at its side a few short heartbeats later, his eyes running over the creature's body. It was dead without a doubt, its neck was cut right open and all color was gone from its brown eyes.

Feeling like his throat was in knots; Pogue shakily raised his hand and bought it over the creature's eyes, closing them. The sight was made all the more painful by the fact that it was Caleb's eyes he slid closed and Pogue couldn't help the fact that his eyes were starting to water.

"That had better not be pity you're feeling."

Pogue's head snapped up and he saw William sitting a few feet away on the edge of the bed, his eyes empty of all emotion as he locked gazes with the empath. For a small handful of seconds, Pogue felt relieved to see the elder Danvers again. After their last encounter Pogue honestly felt he'd never see William again, or if he did it would've been the last thing he'd _ever_ see judging by William's anger.

"Did you do this?"

William's eyes darkened a few shades as he eyed the dead creature. "Yes."

Pogue couldn't hide his shock. "Why?"

"Because you wouldn't."

Pogue eyed the dead body once again before nervously reaching for his discarded clothing. He risked a few glances over his shoulder at William but the elder's eyes were focused intently on the floor of the room, not even blinking. As he finished with his jeans, Pogue felt something cold brush against his subconscious. The dark emotions were heavy in the air again and with the incubus lying dead a few short feet away he knew within mere moments they'd be tearing down his defenses again but much to his surprise something else seamed to be keeping them at bay.

"Relax, they can't touch you."

Pogue gingerly opened his eyes and moved them in William's direction. "They can't?"

William sighed and shook his head slowly. "No, not while I'm here."

Pogue bit his tongue for a moment as a question formed in his mind but he was almost afraid to voice it for fear of William leaving and rendering him helpless, almost.

"Why are you here?"

William eyed him closely, making Pogue's skin crawl from their intensity. His knuckles still stung from the swing he took at the elder and he could still the feel heavy anger waves William sent in his direction along with something else that almost felt like fear; something was wrong.

"I'm here because there's a problem." William replied around a sigh. "And no, I haven't forgiven you."

"Yeah well, the feeling's mutual. What kind of problem?"

"Caleb." William shakily started, sliding off the edge of the bed. "I can't reach him."

Upon hearing Caleb's name, Pogue's chest tightened. "What?"

The next few words were almost Pogue's undoing.

"Something else has taken hold of my son's mind."


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

Those few words were almost Pogue's undoing.

"What?"

William's eyes darkened a few shades before the elder lowered his head.

"I can't get back inside of my son's mind. Something is blocking me."

The desperation in the elder's voice clawed right past the last of Pogue's resolve.

"Chase?"

William shook his head. "No, that little runt isn't anywhere near strong enough to do that. It's...something else."

"Like what?"

"I don't know boy, I'm not the only thing that's in here!" The elder shouted, his frustration building enough for the both of them. "I knew it would only be a matter of time before something else found him, Caleb's been down here for too long as it is. It could be anything."

"Fuck." Pogue heaved, feeling William's frustration and anger coursing through his veins. "How the hell can I help him now?"

"_You _can't do anything." William stated coldly. "_We_ need to find a way to isolate Caleb's mind and draw that boy and whoever else that's inside of him out."

Pogue's couldn't help cocking an eyebrow. "We?"

William spun about quickly, his dark eyes looking almost back in the room's dim lighting. "Yes boy, _"we",_ because as of this moment, you're all I have and without someone protecting your mind, you'll die in here."

Pogue silently weighted his options and snorted a moment later upon realizing he didn't have much of a choice, even though the option of death seamed somewhat desirable in his mentally exhausted state.

"Fine."

"Good." William replied as he turned, eyeing the empath closely. "Hold out your hand."

Pogue wearily extended his arm after a moment of thought. William's strong fingers closed around his hand a moment later, his skin feeling ghost-like and cold to the touch.

"Just relax." The elder Danvers whispered and tightened his grip.

Pogue moved his eyes from William's face to their joined hands in confusion. He was about ask what William was trying to do but his voice was silenced the second he opened his mouth as a hot jolt shot up his arm from his hand and traveled all the way up his back into his skull. The light in the room seamed to dim slightly as he fell over onto his knees. William's figure wavered and he saw him completely disappear out of the corner of his eye.

Before he could dwell on the thought, Pogue felt something worm it's way into the back of his mind and at once he knew instantly it was William. To say the feeling was uncomfortable was an understatement; William's was flat out smothering him. For a moment Pogue felt like he couldn't breathe, his voice cracked as he struggled to suck air into his burning lungs.

_Relax_, William's voice rumbled from the back of his skull

(Easy for you to say, you're not being torn apart here!)

_It'll pass, just give it a moment._

(It's been a fucking moment!)

_Pogue Gavin Parry be a man for once in your life! Now keep your mind clear so I can stay attached to you!_

Pogue managed to gather enough air to emit a heavy growl from William's woods. His body slumped to the floor under him as the after shocks of William's invasion settled down. His hands were shaking violently, their tremors almost matching the frantic rising and falling of his chest. Most of the burning pain inside of him had numbed to a tolerable level and he was able to gingerly pull himself to his knees.

(Goddamn...)

_It wasn't enjoyable for me either_

Pogue growled mentally once again, already growing tired of William's presence.

(So what now?)

_We have to wait for Collins to come back; he's the only one who can open that damned door._

(Why can't you open it?)

_The same reason you can't, I didn't cast the damn spell. He did._

(Spell?)

William groaned in the back of his mind. _Must I tell you everything? This isn't a normal room you're standing in._

(Duh. What the hell is it then?)

_One of the most powerful rooms in this place, you can bewitch it to resemble what ever or wherever you want._

(That explains why I'm sitting in my bedroom then.)

_Yes, there are a large handful of rooms in this place you shouldn't enter. Thankfully this one won't cause any long term damage to you._

After releasing a long breath, Pogue propped himself against his bed.

(That's a relief, I guess. Can you tell where Chase is?)

William was silent for a few passing seconds. _I can feel my son but his presence is too faint for me to tell where he is._

(Terrific. We'll be here for a while.)

_I'm afraid so... _William hummed, sounding almost as thrilled as Pogue felt about their new bond.

--

A dry moan eased from Tyler's sore throat as a sharp, throbbing pain radiated from the back of his head. The pain made it difficult for him to focus on a clear thought but he was able to get his eyes to slowly open. A hard, wooden floor greeting him from just a few inches away along with the legs of several furniture pieces; he was on the floor in Gorman's study.

With a groan, Tyler drew his arms close and tried to get to his knees but his arms quickly gave out before any serious weight could be put on them. He fell back to the floor and groaned. His arms felt like jelly, it took a large amount of willpower just to curl them to his chest.

"Having problems?"

Tyler blinked and gingerly raised his head off the floor. Caleb was leaning against the arch of the nearby window, watching him intently.

"W–what's wrong me?" Tyler's question came in the form of a hiccup as his stomach gave a violent turn.

Caleb pushed himself off the crook of the window and slyly took a few steps closer. Instinctively, Tyler tried to move away but much like his arms, his legs felt weak and he wasn't able to move too far. Caleb merely smiled at his attempt and slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out something.

"See this?" Caleb leaned over him and held out something that looked like a syringe. "This has been a very handy tool of mine."

Tyler eyed the needle and felt himself swallow hard; he was never a fan of needles.

"You drugged me?"

"Can't have you throwing punches at me now can I? I tell you, this little thing has been a godsend over the past few months. Keeps Caleb nice and docile."

Tyler visibly flinched, his deep blue eyes quickly filling with fear and he turned his head away. He scanned the length of the room and felt his throat tighten when he realized he was alone.

"Where's Reid?"

"Downstairs with the old man."

There was something cold in the tone Caleb used that made a shiver roll down Tyler's spine. As if sensing the younger boy's fear, Caleb locked eyes with him once again.

"Yes, he's still alive, along with that annoying old man, but for long depends entirely up to you."

Tyler felt his throat tighten once again. "What do you mean?"

"It means Tyler, if you're a good boy and give me what I want, no harm will come to your little boyfriend."

The youngest covenant member wasn't at all appeased by the answer.

"What do you want?"

Caleb circled around him, his dark eyes looming down at Tyler's face.

"Do we really have to go over this again? You know what I want."

Tyler's eyes lit up with fear once again and the younger boy seamed to curl in on himself. Chase couldn't help his grin from the wonderful sight. He kneeled down near Tyler, his eyes looking over the younger boy's body darkly.

"So, are we going to do this the hard way again? Or do you want the easy way?"

Tyler gulped and tried his hardest to scoot himself away from Caleb, trying hard to ignore the amused glint in the older boy's eyes from his frantic effort.

"Tyler, _stop moving_."

Tyler felt his body instantly freeze against his will. A jolt of fear went through him. Why couldn't he move?

"There we go, much better." Caleb purred darkly as his eyes roamed over Tyler's trembling figure. "Like my new gift? I can do all kinds of things with it."

His lips curved into an evil grin and Tyler's throat tightened involuntary from the sight.

"Tyler, _sit up._"

Despite the grogginess the drug cause his limbs, Tyler felt his hands spread across the floor underneath him and push against its surface until he found himself in a crouching position.

"Good. _Now repeat after me_–"

"No." The blue-eyed boy gasped, trying to move away from the other boy.

"_I_..."

(No! Don't say anything!)

Tyler felt the lower part of his mouth start to open and in a frantic effort he tried to clamp it shut. It didn't work.

"I..."

His voice cracked heavily as he spoke. No, Chase couldn't make him do this, he couldn't.

"_Will..."_

He curled his fingers tightly together, his fingernails pressing painfully against the skin of his palms, hard enough to draw blood. Why couldn't he stop himself?

"W-will..."

"_You..."_

"Y-you."

Caleb's eyes soon turned black, his voice gaining deep tremors as it spoke, almost sounding like two people speaking in unison.

"_My..."_

(Reid!)

He bit his lip, trying to keep his voice silent. He knew what would happen to him if he finished those words.

"My..."

(Reid, help me please.)

"_Pow_– Gnh!"

With a loud cry, Caleb fell forwards. Tyler also crashed heavily against the floor as Chase's hold on his body broke suddenly. His limbs still felt rubbery but never the less the seized the opportunity to escape. He pushed on the floor with his feet and managed to inch himself backwards a few feet. He tried again but before he could get a considerable distance away, Caleb's arm shot out suddenly and his fingers tightened painfully around Tyler's ankle.

"No." The younger boy wailed, trying to kick at the steal like fingers holding him in place.

Caleb slowly raised his head and Tyler couldn't help gasping at the sight, his eyes were a chilling, pale blue color. With a powerful– and very painful– yank, Caleb pulled the younger boy back across the floor until they were mere inches away from each other. Tyler's yelp of surprise echoed inside the small room as he felt Caleb roll him over onto his back and climb on top of him, his bulk pinning the younger boy harshly against the floor.

The older boy's powerful fingers soon sized the bottom of his chin and roughly turned his head to the side. He completely ignored Tyler's whimpers of fear and distress as his piercing blue eyes bore down into the younger boy's eyes. Tyler bit his lip to keep any further whimpers quiet as Caleb raised a finger and gently caressed the side of his face, fearful of the other male's intentions.

"Please Chase, don't–"

Caleb blinked and locked eyes with him.

"Is that his name?"

Tyler felt his breath hitch, that wasn't Caleb's voice or even Chase's. It was darker.

Caleb's weight shifted as he brought a hand to Tyler's face once again.

"_Sleep."_

"No, please–"

"_Go to sleep."_ Caleb rasped, his voice growing deeper with tremors.

A single tear eased out from the corner of Tyler's eyes as they sleepily drifted closed and his body slumped heavily against the wooden floor.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

With a deep intake of breath, Chase felt his eyes slowly open. His– Caleb's– body felt groggy and stiff, almost like he'd be sleeping. That thought alone confused him, since he didn't have a physical body he didn't need sleep and he'd always leave Caleb's body for a few hours when the boy need rest.

Gingerly he sat up, feeling Caleb's shoulder pop from the movement and took a closer look at his surroundings. From what he could gather he assumed he was in the cabin of a vehicle and judging from the H2 emblem on the vehicle's steering wheel, it was Tyler's Hummer.

(How in the hell did I end up here?)

The sound of soft breathing grabbed his attention and Chase turned his head towards the back seat. Over the curve of the leather, he could see Tyler's unconscious form lying in the back seat. The boy's blue eyes were lightly closed, like he was sleeping. His soft, even breathing confirmed the fact and with a confused look, Chase turned his attention towards the nearest window.

His breath – or Caleb's for that matter– hitched when he caught sight of his surroundings; the car was parked less then a hundred feet away from the remains of Putnum barn. He had absolutely no idea how he ended up in this place and in a panic he tried to mentally retrace his steps. He remembered sneaking his way into the old colony house once again in search of Tyler but he was drawing a blank after that, almost like he blacked out.

(Oh fuck!)

He was losing track of time and blacking out, the same symptoms Caleb experienced when he first took him over. A part of him knew this wasn't a just coincidence.

(Shit.)

Not wanting to waist another moment that he was in control of, Chase inched himself towards the driver's side and unlatched the car door. The air outside was heavy and cold, meaning the sun was setting, bringing a full moon in it's absence; he didn't have much time left if he was going to do the ritual.

His feet hit the ground with a heavy thud; his body was still incredibly stiff and groggy. He must've been asleep for longer then he thought. With a yank, he pulled the passenger's side door open and hesitantly touched Tyler's shoulder. The younger boy didn't move or even make a sound from the touch, as a matter of a fact it was like the younger boy was still asleep. He moved his hand towards the younger boy's neck, sighing in relief when he felt a weak pulse; Tyler was defiantly sleeping.

Relived that no harm had come to his new source of power, Chase moved one of Caleb's strong hands under Tyler's shoulders and pulled the boy to his chest. Using his powers to enhance his physical strength, Chase then heaved Tyler's limp body over his shoulder and kicked the Hummer's door shut with his foot.

He nearly tripped several times as he stumbled through the wreckage of the barn. He reached the heavy double doors leading down to Putnum's greatest secret. They opened with a small wave of his free hand and he was greatly surprised to see that all of the torches lining the wall of the stairwell were lit.

Carefully he descended down them, gently securing Tyler's weight against his back. He was panting by the time he reached the large double doors at the end of the stone part of the tunnel and with a tired wave the twin doors opened.

The stone walled room was brightly lit from the hundreds of candles resting along its many surfaces; every single one of them was lit with a bright gold flame. Chase felt his eyes narrow at the sight of the tiny flames; he didn't remember lighting any of them before he left. He lowered Tyler to the floor in a clear area and cautiously scanned the length of the room. There was no sign of Pogue, meaning the empath hadn't yet left the room Chase sent him to and ruling out him as the source of the room's sudden change.

No, the person who went to the trouble of getting this place well prepared for him was much closer to him then Pogue. Too close for Chase's liking.

--

_Chase is back_

Pogue was startled out of his thoughts when he heard William's gruff voice inside his head.

(Shouldn't you leave or something?)

_He won't know I'm here, trust me._

(You're sure?)

_Yes, all he can feel at the moment is you._

(That's a small relief, thanks.)

Both covenant members drew silent as Chase's presence slowly filtered into the room. It was much stronger then anything else drifting around inside of the room, which disturbed both Pogue and William. A door suddenly appeared on Pogue's left and rattled loudly as it was slowly opened by the man on the other side.

Although Pogue already knew it was Chase on the other end that didn't stop the painful lurch his heart gave from the sight of that bastard being inside of his friend's body once again. Caleb's brown eyes slowly glanced around the room and halted when they spied the bloodied figure lying in the corner.

"What's wrong Pogue wasn't he _satisfying_ enough for you?" Caleb's rough voice chuckled.

"Fuck you." Pogue spat.

In the depths of his mind Pogue could feel William rolling his eyes at the two of them. Were it not for the seriousness of the situation Pogue probably would've laughed at that.

"Nice to know you're in a good mood." Caleb hummed and eyed Pogue clearly. "We're going to do the ritual now. I'm not waiting any longer."

His statement took the empath by surprise. "What?"

"I'm not staying inside of Caleb any longer then I have too, and I expect you to remember our deal?" Caleb stated as he crossed his arms.

"Some fucking deal. You didn't even give me the real Caleb." Pogue spat.

"You didn't ask for the real Caleb." Caleb replied, completely mimicking Chase's attitude. "Now, are you going to cooperate or not?"

Pogue's answer came before he could stop it. "Hell no."

Caleb's eyes narrowed dangerously, making Pogue's skin crawl slightly. "Fine. _**Stand up**_."

A faint tremor accompanied both words and caused the small hairs on the back of Pogue's neck to stand up. The empath felt a strong twitch in his legs but he remained seated on the edge of the bed.

"I'm fine right here, thanks." Pogue mumbled, raising an eyebrow.

Confusion crossed Caleb's eyes and touched Pogue's mind but it was quickly stomped down before it grew too strong and tried again.

"_**Pogue, stand up.**__"_

This time a hot sensation traveled through Pogue's body and against his will he felt himself getting to his feet.

(What the fuck?)

William grew tense in the back of his mind. _He's acquired a new gift apparently. _

(A new– who the hell did it come from?)

_I don't know. _William growled darkly. _But I have a pretty good guess. Only one person in the covenant's entire history had __**that**__ gift._

Before Pogue could ask who, Caleb had opened his mouth again.

"_**Good. Now be a good boy and give me the pendant.**_"

Hundreds of enraged remarks bit at Pogue's tongue but for some reason the empath found himself unable to speak. He was unable to do anything but raise his arm.

(Can't you do something!?)

_I've been trying but there's nothing I can do. Find some way to fight it!_

He tried, his fingers coiling tightly together in an effort to keep himself from obeying but no matter how hard he fought it, Pogue soon found himself reaching for his jacket and pulling the small gold pendant out of it's pocket. Caleb's eyes lit up as they witnessed the light in the room reflect on its smooth surface and the older boy greedily held his hand out. His smile grew even larger as Pogue's fingers released it into his palm.

"You cannot believe how much grief this little thing has caused me."

"I'm sure." Pogue mumbled, silently counting his teeth in order to keep anymore remarks silent; the last thing he needed was to give Chase any more reason to use his new gift.

Caleb's grin remained in place as he curled his fingers around the small gold trinket and he turned on his heel.

"_**Fallow me.**_"

Automatically Pogue found his feet moving forwards.

(Dammit.)

The empath tried to counter Chase's new powers. Blocking his mind didn't work and neither did using his own powers to keep his feet in place. It was no use, Chase was much stronger then him at the moment. He passed through the now open door into the dark stone hallway. His ears picked up the sound of the door closing behind him and he turned just in time to see the door slowly fade into the stone, forming a dead end.

(This place is just full of surprises.)

William grunted in the back of his mind but otherwise remained silent. If it wasn't for the waves of frustration lightly touching the empath's mind Pogue wouldn't have even know he was there. He silently fallowed Caleb back out into the open room and his feet came to a rough halt when his eyes caught sight of the hundreds of candles adorning the room.

(Holy shit.)

His blue eyes scanned the entire length of the room, awed by the many small flames until they noticed that someone besides Caleb was in the room.

"Tyler?"

The younger boy was lying in the far corner of the room and before Chase could stop him, Pogue moved through the room and dropped near Tyler's side. His fingers moved down Tyler's arm to his wrist and the empath felt his throat loosen when they felt a pulse.

(What the hell is he doing here?)

_Chase must've brought him. That solves the mystery of where he went earlier._

Pogue pushed on Tyler's shoulder in an attempt to waken the other teen but to no avail. He tried shaking him as well but Tyler's closed lids didn't even flutter.

"Don't bother; he won't be waking up anytime soon." Caleb retorted from across the room.

Pogue glared at him over his shoulder. "What the hell did you do to him?"

"Believe it or not, nothing." The older boy replied in a cold voice. "_**Now get over here**_."

More hot pins went through his legs and against his will, Pogue felt himself stand up and leave Tyler's side. He tried to fight the hold the entire time he strolled across the room but Caleb just voiced the command again he was rendered helpless. Eventually his feet came to a stop near the Nexus Stone; the dark blue table was the only thing in the room not covered with candles, not even one was placed on its smooth surface. The only things resting on it were the three small gold pendants Chase had collected over the past months and a knife about the length of his forearm.

Even from the distance, Pogue could clearly make out its design. The blade was silver and was split down the middle, giving it a serrated edge. The handle was made of pure iron and looked like it was carved by a very skilled hand. Several of the blue runes decorating the many walls behind him were etched into the handle as well, giving Pogue the impression that the blade was not as harmless as it looked.

"_**Hold out your hand.**_"

The tremors rolled down Pogue's spine once again and he held out a shaking hand like he was ordered. The pendant was placed back in his hands a moment later.

"_**Put it with the others.**_"

Pogue blinked and with a serious amount of willpower he managed to keep his arm still. The tremors of Caleb's voice still lingered inside of his head but he felt no desire or impulse to act on their orders.

(Yes!)

A cold feeling spread through his arm afterwards, aiding him and Pogue instantly knew it was William. His relief was short-lived however.

Caleb eyed the outstretched limb with disdain. "You don't give up, do you?"

"Fuck you!"

Caleb's eyes darkened and before Pogue could gain his resolve he saw the older boy's eyes turn black. Sharp, blinding pain tore through his entire body and the empath cried out and fell to his knees.

"Jesus Christ, you just love being a pain in the ass don't you?"

Caleb stopped the torture a long moment later, leaving the empath wheezing heavily on the floor.

"And here I thought you were gonna play nice for Caleb's sake. Honestly Pogue, can't you stop being selfish?"

"Look whose talking asshole." Pogue growled as he staggered to his feet. "I'm not going to let you kill Caleb."

A flicker of understanding showed in Caleb's tight shoulders but his eyes remained emotionless and black. "Alright, I'm done being nice._** Get up!**_"

An invisible force seamed to grab his limbs and Pogue was hauled back to his knees a moment later. With a wave of his hand, Caleb pulled the empath fully to his feet and grasped something off the table's surface.

(William!)

Pogue tried reaching for the elder's presence but it was blocked by a heavy wall of Chase's power. He tried to frantically to break through it but all too soon he found himself standing at the table's flank. Caleb seized one of his hands and held it over the table roughly. His other hand held the knife that was sitting on the table's surface a few moments prior and the silver blade glistened with light as it's tip neared Pogue's palm.

"Fucker!" The empath hissed as the weapon pierced his skin, drawing a small dribble of blood.

Caleb merely grinned and roughly twisted his arm back towards the table. Pogue's bloody palm slammed heavily against the stone, causing the empath to emit a loud yelp of pain. A moment later the cut skin of his hand started to burn painfully, almost like the surface of the large blue stone was heating up.

Pogue squeezed his eyes shut as more pain traveled up the length of his arm. A long trail of emotions dug into the depths of his mind, tearing at his nerves and showing him countless flashes of images he didn't understand. In one blur he could see several people gathered around the same blue stone he had his hand pressed against, all of them dressed in black hoods. Another image wormed its way in its place; this one consisted of two people standing in front of the stone. They seamed t be arguing and Pogue could see one of them turn towards the Nexus Stone which cracked heavily a moment later.

The room shook slightly and as the images started to fade and Pogue could see the large crack in the stone suddenly disappear under his hand. Exhaustion took over his body and Pogue felt his legs give out under him. His knees hit the floor with a hard impact.

"I knew you were the one I needed." Caleb remarked a few short feet away. "But unfortunately, you've now outlived you're usefulness."

The air inside of his lungs grew heavy as the room seamed to grow colder. Out of the corner of his eye, Pogue saw Caleb raise his arm and will a powerful force of his powers towards him. The empath turned his eyes black in an attempt to shield himself from the impact but the wave was blocked even before it hit him.

_My turn._ William flared from the depths of Pogue's mind.

(What?)

Pogue repeated the question once more but got no answer from the elder Danvers other then William's enraged growl. A good portion of the small candle flames went out, encasing the room in a mild darkness. The empath's eyes moved back and forth in confusion and he reached for William's presence in his mind; he didn't know the elder was strong enough to do this. He found the elder's presence shortly afterwards but he couldn't wrap his mind around it, William slipped away from him.

_You might want to cover your ears._ The elder said as his presence completely detached it's self from the empath's mind.

Pogue didn't even have time to raise his hands before a loud, blood curling scream shot threw the stone room.

--

you can see a picture of the knife on my bio page, I own it


	42. Chapter 42

Wow, this one gave me so many problems I don't know where to begin. First off, I got really, really sick 3 weeks ago and the damned crap didn't go away until last Wednesday so I needed some help writing this chapters while I was loopy from cough medicine. So I called in my good buddy Lucas, who's trying to major in English and he was nice enough to write half of this for me. This was the poor guy's first ever venture into fanfiction (and I introduced him to slash of all things, LOL) so I'd like to give him a big thanks. Secondly, thanks to all of you for waiting until I was a hundred percent satisfied with this chapter to post it… and a big thank you to Animegirl1129 for the beta

Enjoy…

**Chapter 42**

For a moment, Pogue wasn't aware of what had happened. An intense cold had worked its way deep into his body and made his limbs feel three times heavier as he tried to move. His head was throbbing with an intense ring. He managed to crack an eye open and felt a slight tremor of fear bubble in his throat when he saw the hard floor of the stone room pressed against the side of his face.

He gently rose into a sitting position, mindful of his throbbing head and scanned the length of the room. Most of the candles were extinguished; their grey smoke tiffs still lingered in the dark room. He saw a dark shape out of the corner of his eye but before he could turn his head, a hand clasped tightly around his throat and pushed him back down to the floor.

"You son of a bitch!" Caleb's voice screeched right into his ear.

Pogue chocked on a gasp as the strong fingers started squeezing the air right out of his lungs. Caleb's eyes were pure black and small trickles of blood had gathered near the corner of the older boy's lip and nostrils, signaling that some damage had been done to Caleb's body from William's recent attack; whatever it was. Pogue struggled against the hold, trying to work his knee upward into his attacker's gut but Caleb prevented it by pinning it to the floor with his own leg.

"I've had enough of you." Caleb punctuated his growl by tightening his grip. "You and Caleb have outlived your use."

"Fuck you."

Pogue's breathless growl caused a cruel grin to appear on Caleb's face.

"How do you want the love of your life to die Pogue? Quick or _slow_ like _you're_ going to?"

The fingers around his throat tightened to an even more unbearable level and Pogue felt sure that was blood he tasted in the back of his mouth.

"Should I make Caleb over-use or should I just cut his throat?"

"Lair! You still need him, you're not whole yet." Pogue managed to scream out.

He had to do something, if Caleb's hands got any tighter...

"Wrong witch boy, I don't need him or you for that matter. I have Tyler."

All sound completely faded from Pogue's ears as Chase's statement reached him.

(Fuck, Tyler!)

He could see the youngest covenant member lying on the floor a good distance away out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't let anything happen to him, it was his job as the oldest to take care of him. Caleb made him swear to keep Tyler safe.

Rage, thick and hot, boiled in the back of Pogue's mind. Chase needed to die, one way or another. It was the only way he would be able to save Caleb and protect Tyler. The bastard needed to die.

Focusing all of his remaining strength and willpower, Pogue slowly extended an arm outwards and called forth a heavy portion of his mental powers. Chase saw this out of the rim of his eye but wasn't quick enough to block it and was thrown backwards by Pogue's powers. Both teens lay on the hard stone ground for a series of moments, breathing heavily. Pogue was the first to crawl to his feet.

"You're not going to hurt Caleb anymore you mother fucking freak and I'm not going to let you lay a hand on Tyler."

Caleb's reply was a rage filled growl and a heavy blast of power that Pogue barely had the strength to block. A painful gash formed on his right forearm afterwards but the empath forced the pain waves to the depths of his mind. He gathered more of his power and threw it in Caleb's direction, hitting the older boy directly in the chest and winding him even more. Pogue leapt at the opportunity, he needed to keep Caleb's body pinned. He dashed towards him quickly afterwards.

Caleb swung his arm just as Pogue came near, knocking the long-haired teen back and sent him crashing to the floor a moment later with a powerful burst of power. The blow stunned him and before Pogue could roll to his feet, he was pinned heavily to the floor by Caleb's foot. The dark haired boy raised his fist and summoned an intense force of power to gather around it. The empath saw this and tried to roll out from under his foot but couldn't.

(Shit, this is it!)

He couldn't bring himself to look so he cowardly turned his head. He couldn't look at Caleb's face; his friend's face held nothing but malice and anger as he raised his hand to deliver the final blow.

(I'm sorry Caleb. I'm sorry...)

The hand entered the corner of his vision but the painful blow never came. Instead, Pogue felt a familiar presence brush against his hazy mind.

_Are you alright?_

Pogue felt himself choke once again

(William?)

_You sound surprised. _The elder remarked and then his voice dawned a dark tone. _Hello Chase._

Upon hearing the elder's voice, Caleb's shouldered coiled tight.

"William." He snarled.

_Notice anything different?_

Chase's arm rose halfway into the air and turned his palm upwards, an act that seamed to upset the older boy.

"You son of a–"

The growl was cut short by William's laughter.

_Doesn't feel to nice being __**my**__ puppet now do it?_

"Fuck you!"

_Pogue_... William's tone darkened to an even deeper level... _Get to your feet and find a way to get him out of my son._

(What do you want me to do?)

_Make him suffer, tear him in half! I don't care; just get him out of my son! _William roared.

Pogue gingerly rolled to his feet, his body protesting the entire time. His eyes locked with Caleb's dark brown ones. Hundreds of emotions could be seen in their amber depths but the one that stood out the most was anger, an emotion that was non-existent in their glow until 3 months ago.

"Go on Pogue." Caleb barked, still frozen to the spot but eyeing the empath the entire time. "Hurt me."

Pogue felt a lump form in the back of his throat and tried to swallow it down. Caleb saw this and laughed.

"Oh, that's right. You'd never hurt your precious Caleb. You'd rather die."

"Shut up."

"Oh? He's always a sensitive subject with you isn't he?"

Pogue's fingers tightened into fists. "Fuck you."

"You wish." Caleb replied with a smug grin. "Oh wait, you already did."

_Pogue, _William's voice warned. _Don't listen; just feel around his head for Caleb._

The empath mentally shook himself and raised his hand, positioning it a few inches away from Caleb's face. The older boy merely watched with a bored look.

"Wow, scary. You'll fuck Caleb given the opportunity but you don't have the balls to touch him now eh?"

"Keep talking asshole." Pogue growled as he focused, gently sending his powers into Caleb's mind in search of his friend's presence.

_He's trying to get under your skin boy, ignore him!_

"I wonder if he ever fucked Sarah? She's pretty enough and since she's a _girl_, she's his taste. Think she'd have what it takes to make him scream like you did...oh wait, for that she'd have to rape him too, wouldn't she?"

_Pogue don't!_

William's warning wasn't quick enough, with an enraged scream; Pogue swung his fist hard into Caleb's jaw. A sickening thud echoed inside the room as Caleb recoiled from the hit. William's presence kept the older boy rooted to the spot but judging from how hazy Caleb's eyes looked, it would be a few minutes before Chase fully recovered.

Pogue relished the silence and searched once again in the dark abyss for Caleb's presence. Chase's presence was cold and never ending but the empath refused to give up, there had to be a part of Caleb left in there somewhere. A pained groan eased from Caleb's mouth as Pogue used his powers to tear deeper into his friend's subconscious, enjoying the pain he caused briefly.

"You're not going to find him. There's nothing left."

"Shut up." Pogue growled, not even opening his eyes.

Pogue twisted his powers deeper into Caleb's mind, causing even more pained noises to fill the room.

(Caleb? Where the hell are you...?)

He probed deeper and deeper, feeling over every memory and thought he came across in hopes that it belonged to Caleb. Chase tried to block him at every turn but for once he wasn't strong enough to. Pogue felt Chase wiggle under his control but he didn't pay it any mind until he heard William's roar.

_Pogue look out!_

Pogue opened his eyes just in time to see something long and silver grasped in Chase's hand and he wasn't fast enough to keep the item from ghosting past his cheek. A stinging sensation fallowed a moment later and Pogue knew something had cut him, he could feel the blood dripping down his neck. He blocked another blow by locking with Caleb's and his eyes caught sight of the double edged knife clutched in the older boy's grip; he didn't even realize the blade was in Chase's reach.

"Like I said, there's nothing left of Caleb in here. It's. Just. Me."

The last three words burned right into Pogue's body and added more fuel to his never ending anger.

"You son of a bitch, why won't you just fucking die?!"

Chase's answer was a deep growl and a kick that sent Pogue stumbling back a few paces. The knife was swung once again and Pogue let out a wail as its blade sunk into his right thigh. Chase laughed and twisted the blade painfully before pulling it out.

(Fuck.)

With a throaty moan, Pogue forced himself to ignore the pain as the knife once again came near his face. His fingers reached out and grasped the handle when it was less then a few inches away from his face.

"That's it, keep fighting." Caleb chuckled darkly. "That's what _he_ wants."

Before Pogue could ask who "He" was, Caleb pulled the knife back and charged Pogue's unprotected side. The empath moved and twisted out of Caleb's way, his fingers digging into Caleb's arm in an attempt to wrestle the knife away from his grasp. Caleb recoiled and directed the knife towards Pogue's chest but the blond's hands once again grabbed the handle.

The blade's tip was mere inches away from his chest and Chase was forcing more strength and energy making it move lower every few seconds. Pogue's arms were trembling from the strain and felt like they'd give out at any moment and what was worse, he didn't have the strength to call upon any of his powers. The blade was only a few inches shy of his skin now and from the enraged look on Caleb's face, Chase was more then willing to push it deeper. A yelp burned in Pogue's throat as the pain from his throbbing arms shot through his body. He couldn't hold on for much longer, he couldn't...he needed to do something.

With a deep breath, Pogue called forth the last of his strength and pushed as hard as he could on Caleb's hands. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Caleb raise his knee and Pogue was quick to me out of the way. His hands twisted around Caleb's arms as he moved and shortly after he evaded the kick, Pogue felt Caleb's arms twist with him and a sickening wail tore form Caleb's mouth.

Time seamed to come to a crashing halt as Pogue felt something warm and wet spill over his finger tips. Caleb stood completely still in his arms and a few heartbeats later, his weight started leaning fully against Pogue's side. Pogue pulled a shaking hand away from Caleb's stomach and emitted a sound that could have either been a sob or a gasp.

(Oh god no, no, no, no...)

His hands were covered with blood... Caleb's blood.

"Oh god. Caleb!"

The knife hit the floor with a loud clank and Caleb's weight fully sank against Pogue's shoulder. Pogue hastily turned the older boy around and saw a large red stain forming on Caleb's shirt near his lower left side. The empath swore and gently pulled Caleb down to the hard stone floor, the blood stain was growing bigger every passing second. He pulled Caleb's shirt up and away from the wound. A small red gash was visible among the spreading blood trails. It was no longer then his index finger but the never ending spurts of blood told Pogue the wound was deep.

Tears started forming in the depths of Pogue's blue eyes. "Oh god– I'm sorry Caleb. I'm so sorry."

Caleb's mouth opened in an attempt to say something but no sound came out. His eyes fluttered closed and then opened shortly afterwards. They were their normal dark shade of amber but all of the anger and malice had completely disappeared from their shine; those eyes only belonged to one person.

"Caleb?"

The brown gems turned in his direction when Caleb heard his voice.

"P...ogue?"

His voice was raspy and came out no heavier then a whisper.

"Yeah, yeah it's me Caleb." Pogue choked out, a tear falling from his eyes. "It's going to be okay."

Caleb didn't say anything to that. The older boy just closed his eyes and let his dead weight sag against Pogue's chest.

"Caleb?"

Pogue swore he felt his heart come to a complete stop. More tears gathered in his eyes as he mustered up the urge to shake Caleb's still form.

"Caleb?"

No answer, no breath...

Caleb was gone...

--

1) I wanted the fight to be very physical and nerve racking so I decided not to have the boys use their powers that much, hope no one minds. I tried to make it believable

2) The "exorcism" attempt was inspired by Clive Barker's "Jericho" and if you've played the game you'll know what scene I'm talking about. I just wish that I could've put the whole "Your pimp has taught you well" line in there. I fell on my ass and laughed when I first heard that line.

3) No Tyler was not raped in the past chapters. Pogue and Caleb are my main whipping boys in this series. Read the scene again if you don't believe me.

4) No it's not over yet, not by a long ass shot


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43- "The Master of Puppets"**

Chase felt himself hit the cold stone floor with a painful crash. A sharp pain wave crawled up his spine from his shoulder and the teen gingerly pushed himself up on his arms, nursing the injury with a pained groan.

(Shit.)

As he rubbed his throbbing shoulder a thought came to his mind. Pain? Pain, white and hot was coursing though his entire body. He couldn't remember the last time he felt pain, he wasn't enough whole enough to feel it.

(What the hell?)

Confused, Chase raised his hand and glanced down at his fingers. They weren't Caleb's, they were his own, full and pale, almost exactly like they were before Danvers finished him off. He was in his own physical form. He turned his hand over a few more times, a relieved grin coming to his face. However, his grin only stayed in place until he glanced at his surroundings. He was in the middle of an empty space, surrounded by nothing but a thick sea of darkness.

(Oh fuck...oh fuck...no, no, no.)

He wasn't back in his own body or Caleb's for that matter. He was in the chamber's messed up version of limbo. He remembered this darkness clearly, it surrounded him that night when Caleb destroyed his body and attempted to drag him back down into the slimly depths of the room's lower caverns. Now he was out in the open and defenseless, without a body he couldn't _use_ or fight: he was helpless!

_That's not fear I'm sensing now is it?_

Chase startled as the deep voice touched his mind, thick and smooth. He heard that voice a few times before and he really didn't want to hear it again so soon.

"I shouldn't be here!" He yelled into the thickening darkness. "It hasn't been a year yet."

As he expected, the darkness immediately answered him.

"_You've been defeated you arrogant child, accept your fate."_

"Pogue hasn't killed me yet. I still have time–"

"_It doesn't matter, your host is dead and I've lost all patience with you."_

Before Chase could ponder what the voice meant, a sharp stinging pain shot up his arm. His eyes saw something dark blue crawling upwards from the back of his hand towards his shoulder; it looked like a long strand of ancient runes in blue ink. The pain grew more unbearable as the runes spread, almost like they were being carved into his skin by a knife. The pain soon spread onto his back and Chase released a throaty scream.

"Dammit it, give me some more time–" Case felt his voice cut out as the runes continued to spread. "I can jump to Pogue–"

_You can't possess an Empath boy; you have tried and failed many times already._

"But–"

_ENOUGH!_

The darkness thinned and a figure emerged from its shadows. Chase blinked at first, for over half a year he had heard the deep voice speak to him but he'd never once seen who it belonged too. A sudden sense of Déjà Vu wash over him when he felt a pair of ghostly blue eyes lock onto him and he instantly recognized the man's face; it was the same one he'd seen staring back at him in the mirror over the past few hours.

"Once again, you've outlived your usefulness...I have given you all the tools you needed and yet, you failed." The figure hummed darkly as he willed the runes to finish removing the annoyance before his eyes. "I think your new friend will do just fine in your place."

"You–" Chase choked on the rest of his words as the blue tipped runes crawled up his cheek and spilled into his eyes. His vision soon turned black as the last non-existent gasp eased from his lungs. The final image that faded into his mind was a pair of pale blue eyes watching him writhe with satisfied glint in their depths.

--

"Come on, you don't feel anything?" Reid was less then three seconds away from pulling a lock of his hair out.

Gorman sat in his old, plush chair near the fireplace with his eyes closed. A frown sat heavily upon his ancient face and Reid could feel the elder's powers ghosting throughout the heavy air around him.

"I'm searching Reid." The elder said back, his eyes remaining closed.

The blond scowled and continued pacing the length of the study, grumbling under his breath. He was beyond feeling worried, he and Gorman had awaken an hour beforehand and - much to the fear already building in his gut- both covenant members quickly discovered they were alone.

(Tyler...)

He had no idea where the younger boy was but he had a sickening feeling Chase had him somewhere...and that feeling wasn't very comforting. Reid glanced back over at Gorman with another frustrated snort and resumed pacing.

(Where the hell is Pogue when you need him?)

A thought suddenly entered Reid's mind and he waited for Gorman to acknowledge him before voicing it.

"Can you find Pogue anywhere?"

Gorman shook his head slowly. "No, I haven't been able to locate him since he left. He's gotten remarkably good at blocking me lately."

"Dammit." The blond swore and resumed his pacing, his heart still turning in circles.

(Ty, where are you?)

--

(Please wake up.)

Pogue's eyes burned under their closed lids as he hugged the lifeless body in his arms close. He refused to believe Caleb was actually...was actually...

He couldn't even bring himself to admit it.

Those brown eyes would never open again; they would never look at him again with their normal soft warmth. He'd never hear Caleb's voice again. All that was gone, gone in a blink: all that was left was the slowly drying stains of blood and the dead weight resting heavily in his arms. The warmth from Caleb's body had long since faded but no matter how hard he willing himself, Pogue couldn't let it go, the naive part of him wanted to believe that Caleb's eyes would open again if he kept holding his still form.

He failed. There was no other way for him to put it, he promised Caleb that he would find a way to save him and he didn't. He was weak, worthless, he failed and his best friend was dead because of it.

(Please come back, Caleb. Please.)

A cold chill suddenly rose in the room and Pogue raised his head from Caleb's chest just in time to see the few lit candles go out. The room was then encased in a suffocating darkness and the empath gently laid Caleb's still form on the cold ground before slowly pushing himself to his feet.

--

From the darkness the blue eyes watched the still alive boy occupying the room. The boy's power was the first thing that drew his attention a short while ago; it had been so long since he'd felt an empath enter his resting place. Their kind normally stayed away from gathering places.

(I can see why that arrogant whelp lost to him. He's adapted to that gift well.)

After observing his prey for a few more short moments, the pale eyed man sent a small strand of his presence outward, seeing if the boy would detect it. He wasn't disappointed. He saw the covenant member straighten almost immediately afterwards and wearily touched the presence with his mind, probing.

(Smart boy.)

--

(What the fuck?)

Goosebumps slowly started rising on Pogue's arm as something brushed lightly against him. Keeping his guard up, Pogue swallowed and lightly ran his powers over the strange presence, trying to feel if it felt familiar to him. It didn't, it felt cold and endless. The entity it belonged to was powerful; it even felt ancient like Gorman's. Swallowing deeply Pogue rose to his feet, swaying slightly from the knife wound in his leg.

"Hello?" He called out into the darkness, ignoring how silly the idea seamed to him.

Silence hung heavily in the air and Pogue was about to call out again but was silenced as the row of candles nearest to him suddenly ignited with a loud _whoosh_.

A lone figure stood before him, his piercing blue eyes almost matching the color of Pogue's own.

"Hello Pogue."

The man was dark-haired and clothed entirely in loose black robes. His skin was almost as pale as a ghost, his blue eyes also looking ghost-like, but his appearance was nothing compared to the endless amount of power Pogue felt drifting off of him.

Pogue felt himself stumble backwards. "Who the fuck are you?"

The man made a humming sound and it took Pogue a moment to realize he was laughing. His figure seamed to waver with every false breath and the empath glimpsed faint extended lines near the man's mouth and eyes, hinting there was something darker lurking under his face. As the man turned his face to the side slightly Pogue couldn't sworn he glimpsed fangs through the pale skin the man's cheek that fully extended along the man's jaw line, as if there was something demoniac about him.

"You know who I am boy." The man stated in a cold, even tone. "Take another feel."

Pogue eyed him for a moment before letting his mind touch the stranger's presence once again. It felt as cold and dark as it did a short moment ago but this time some memories came with it. Pogue closed his eyes briefly after making sure the man in front of him wouldn't move while he did so.

He suddenly found himself standing outside a large building, a barn of some sorts. As he focused in on the image he realized it was a much newer version of Putnum barn and the man in front of him was chained to a poll in the middle of it. His back contained numerous cuts and Pogue winced as he felt the pain from the memory flood his senses.

Pogue then felt the image dissolve and reform into a new one. This time he found himself standing in the middle of a room. The strange man stood an arm's length away from him and was arguing with someone. After shaking the strain away from his mind, Pogue moved around until he could see the second figure in the room. He almost fell over from the shock. It was Gorman!

(What the fuck?)

Gorman looked remarkably younger but Pogue instantly knew it was the elder. The memory didn't fade away yet however and Pogue felt the sounds of their conversation reach his ears.

"_I can not stand idly by while you defile my covenant. It doesn't matter what immoral act that man committed, you had no right to bring murder among us!"_

Pogue felt himself wince once again. He knew that tone, Gorman was furious.

The dark-haired man narrowed his eyes. _"It's hardly murder Joseph. It's redemption."_

"_It doesn't matter what name you call it John, he was a priest. If you endanger the rest of us because of this I swear–"_

"_You'll what, come after me? I'm the strongest, I'll end you all."_

Pogue shook his head as he felt the anger from both men cloud his mind.

"_This was the reason we banished you in the first place. If you keep these acts up you'll bring the entire village down on our heads!"_

Pogue waited for the reply from the strange man but it never came. Instead he felt the image waver under his grasp. His ears did pick up one last thing before the image got away from him. It was no more then a whisper that came from the younger Gorman's direction but it rang loud and clear in Pogue's mind.

"_Mark my words John, you'll rot in purgatory for that boy."_

The stone room quickly returned to him and Pogue felt his knees give out from under him. He slumped to the floor and held the side of his head with his free hand. The strange man was still watching him with an intrigued look.

"Did that answer your question?"

Pogue groaned in relief as the pressure in his mind faded. He willed his eye to open and lock with the man standing in front of him.

"John Putnum."


	44. Chapter 44

See, I didn't make you wait too long. LOL. I'm happy to hear everyone liked the idea of John Putnum making an appearance; I was slightly worried it might seem to "Sue-ish". For a picture of the man, check out my profile

**Chapter 44**

Pogue groaned in relief as the pressure in his mind faded and slowly willed his eye to open and lock with the man standing in front of him.

"John Putnum."

The figure straightened proudly. "Smart boy."

Pogue blinked and wearily took a few steps backwards, ignoring the pain from his bleeding leg. "But that doesn't make- how? You're suppose to be–"

"Dead? Now, now boy, I assumed you were smart." Putnum answered with a slight chuckle. "You of all people should know there's _dead_, and there's _this_."

Putnum held up his hand and Pogue saw the pale fingers waver and appear transparent in the rich candle light. The man in front of him wasn't real, just another spectral form like Chase was. However, real flesh or not, Pogue could still feel the endless ancient power clouding the air around him and that was enough to keep the empath on his full guard. He heard all the stories of John Putnum, heard of how powerful the man once was and if Chase was any decent indication, the man was just as dangerous as his decedent, if not more.

Putnum for his part remained unnaturally still, his eyes sizing up the teen in front of him. Pogue could feel the dark man's presence lurking around in the back of his mind but he forced himself to ignore it and keep his eyes on its host. After a minute or so of this, Putnum finally withdrew his powers.

"I'm impressed. You are much more alert then my sorry excuse for a decedent."

Pogue blinked after that statement and a thought came into his mind. Chase, where was he? He couldn't feel him in the room anywhere now that Caleb was...was... Pogue shook his head and forced those thoughts away before the man in front of him could read them.

"Where's Chase?"

Putnum answered almost immediately. "Gone."

"Gone?"

"Yes boy, gone. He won't trouble you or _me_ again."

The coldness in the man's words seeped right into Pogue's bones. "What do you mean?"

"How do you think he came to know about this place or what it can do? Who do you think kept him in once piece after his body was destroyed?"

Pogue couldn't hold in his disbelieve. "You? You were helping him do all of this?"

"Not just him." Putnum drawled smoothly. "I've been helping you as well, sending you images of this place and of course, giving you your new gift. I'm very happy to see that you've adjusted so well to it."

Pogue felt the air squeezed out of his lungs.

"W-what gift?"

Putnum stared at him for a long moment, his blue eyes almost glowing from the room's golden light. Those pale orbs roamed over Pogue's face and the more he looked into them, the more Pogue started realizing it was almost like looking into a mirror; they were almost the same color as his own.

"You did this to me?"

The man bowed his head proudly. "Yes. I gave both you and Chase small shreds of my power."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to see which of the two of you was stronger. Although I'll admit your victory caught me by surprise." Putnum replied and then turned his gaze towards Caleb's lifeless body. "Such a shame for this one though...it's always the innocent that suffer in the end."

Putnum leaned over Caleb's slain form and stared for a long while. Pogue felt his chest tighten and tears gather in the corner of his eyes but he forced himself not to look in Caleb's direction. Gorman always told him John Putnum was a monster and Pogue believed it even though the man was currently showing no signs of it. After all, judging from the memory he witnessed earlier, Gorman had known this man personally and had always labeled him as a monster and that was enough reason for Pogue to closely watch every move he made.

"I'm guessing he's a Danvers?"

The empath tried his hardest to hide his jump when the elder spoke.

"So what if he is?"

"That hostility isn't called for boy, especially towards someone who can help you." Putnum said evenly as he finally drew his eyes away from Caleb.

The cold orbs lingered on Pogue's face for a short second before they were drawn to something behind him. Pogue wasn't about to take his eyes off the man's frame and glance at what it was over his shoulder but the man's eyes seamed to light momentarily as he gazed at it.

Pogue tensed slightly from the sidelines of the glare. "Help me with what?"

His words reached the elder's ears and cold eyes moved back on him a heartbeat later.

"With him." Putnum replied evenly, gesturing towards Caleb.

A growl echoed in Pogue's throat. "What?"

John Putnum closed his eyes for a long moment and sighed heavily. When his eyes opened again, they looked almost regretful.

"It's always hard losing someone you care about isn't it? Everyone loses someone they care about over the course of their meaningless existence but very few people can fully understand the cold, numbing pain of having a lover taken away from you."

Sorrow and emptiness touched Pogue's mind and it took a few moments for him to actually believe they came from the man standing in front of him.

"The feeling is almost unimaginable until it happens. At first, a cold numbness works it way into your body, making every other emotion aside from pain feel insignificant."

Those words cut right into Pogue's heart and with a painful lurch, he realized the words were actually true and he silently damned the man in front of him. Putnum seamed to pick up on Pogue's feelings because his words turned even more serious.

"Was he special to you?"

Pogue's answer came in the form of a glare. "What the hell do you care?"

"I care because I can bring him back for you."

The empath felt his body freeze.

"What?"

At that, an amused chuckle sounded in the air. "Come now boy, think of where you are, of what you have seen...of what you _are_. Think of what this place was made for..."

The last words were whispered softly but Pogue heard them loud and clear.

"You...you can bring Caleb back? You can make him...live again?"

With a cold grin, Putnum turned his head in Pogue's direction. "Yes boy, I can."

Pogue could finally bring himself to take a deep breath.

"How?"

Putnum looked lost in thought for a moment. "Well, that depends. How much does he mean to you?"

Pogue blinked and thought for a moment.

"Caleb's everything to me."

His answer was truthful; he didn't know where he would be without the other boy. He loved Caleb in every meaning of the word. Caleb was the only one he ever let close to him, he was the only one Pogue could ever feel at peace around.

"And are you willing to do anything for him?"

"Yes."

"Would you die for him?"

Those five words robbed the empath of all breath and seamed to rattle around inside of his head after they were spoken.

"Yes..." Pogue whispered, knowing he was somehow damning himself.

"Good." Putnum growled happily and turned. "Fallow me and bring him."

Pogue wearily watched as the man walked past him towards the far end of the room. The empath lingered where he was for a few short moments, wondering what he just condemned himself to before reaching down and sliding an arm under Caleb' stiff shoulders. He used some of his powers to help him lift Caleb's dead weight over his shoulder, almost falling to the floor when his leg throbbed painfully from its stab wound. The empath forced himself to ignore the pain and used some of his powers to ease the pain as he fallowed the elder. He found Putnum halted a few strides a head staring down at something. The teen fallowed the older man's eyes and quickly found out what it was, or rather who it was.

Putnum's blue eyes were gazing down at Tyler's unconscious forum and judging from the angle, Pogue assumed the younger boy was the thing the elder was gazing at a few moments prior. The younger boy still looked trapped in a dreamless sleep and was it not for Caleb's dead body slumped over his shoulder; Pogue would be attempting to wake him.

"What did Chase do to him?"

He didn't expect an answer from the man in front of him but surprisingly he got one.

"Nothing, I was the one who put him in that sleep."

Pogue was surprised at this and felt his tempter start to awaken. "Why?"

Feeling his anger and somewhat amused by it, Putnum glanced over his should at the teen. "Because he can't have his powers robbed from him if he isn't awake."

The empath let that roll around inside his head for a moment before speaking. "And you did that because?"

Putnum remained silent for a moment and his answer came in the form of a whisper.

"Because I would never let any harm come to him."

Pogue's jaw dropped at that answer. The elder didn't say anything more and continued walking the stone path between the sea of lit candles. Pogue remained standing where he was, feeling more confused then ever by the man's words. What was even more confusing were the feeling of sorrow and loss left in the air after the man's leave.

The throbbing pains in his leg and the numbness in his shoulder soon brought him out of his thoughts and suddenly remembering the reason why there was several hundred pounds of weight crushing down on his body; Pogue continued fallowing the elder's strides until both came to the front of the large stone table. The empath blinked, he didn't even know he had wandered that far away from the stone during his scramble with Chase. He turned a weary eye towards the man standing next to him.

"Put him down there." Putnum instructed, pointing towards the center of the table.

Pogue crouched near the heart of the stone table and lowered his shoulder, letting Caleb's body gently slump onto the surface. He groaned as the feeling soon returned to his shoulder in intense, prickling waves but forced himself to ignore the feeling as he turned and faced the dark man once again.

"Give me your hand."

Pogue waited a moment and then held his left hand before Putnum stopped him.

"No, the other one."

The empath frowned and held his right hand out, the one that Chase has cut open with the blade and winced when the man pressed against the cut with his thumb, drawing fresh blood to the surface of the wound. Ignoring the empath's curses of pain, Putnum then pulled the limb towards the table and placed it palm down on the stone's surface. Like before, the stone seamed to glow under the candle light as Pogue's blood spread across its surface.

A hot, prickling pain then shot up Pogue's arm, rendering his leg good leg weak. He slumped to the stone floor heavily a moment later and winced when he saw the entire right leg of his jeans starting to stain with blood. The blade must've cut deeper into his leg then he thought. Even with the assistance of his powers he was amazed he was able to carry Caleb's entire weight with the wound.

Putnum paid him hardly any mind, only giving him a quick glance out of the corner of his eye before he hummed deeply in his throat. Pogue looked just in time to see the color flash out of the man's blue eyes, turning the ovals pure black. A fierce wave of power then flooded into the small room; wafting past Pogue with such force it almost knocked the empath to the ground.

Putnum then begin speaking, Pogue couldn't understand the words because they were spoken so softly but Putnum then extended his arm towards the foot of the stone table. His long, thin fingers then pushed all four of the gold pendants the last few inches all the way back into their respected carvings and then moved his hand up towards Caleb's body. Pogue watched as the man pushed up the dark stained cloth of Caleb's bloodied shirt, exposing the thin line the knife had cut into his skin. It was still bleeding but the blood loss had slowed immensely from Caleb's dead frame.

"It's deep." Putnum muttered as he trailed a finger along the cut before extending his other hand in Pogue's direction. "Give me your hand boy."

Pogue stared at the man wearily but a presence gathered at the back of his mind before he could do anything.

_Pogue can you hear me?_

The empath blinked as he heard William's voice in his head. It was strained, almost as if the elder was weak.

(William? How–)

_It doesn't mater boy, now listen to me. You need to get out of here!_

(Why?)

_Just do it! He can't harm you in this state, leave while you can._

Pogue mulled the elder's words over for a short moment.

(No.)

He didn't need his empathic powers to tell him William was angry.

_Do not argue with me boy! You have no idea what the man is capable of._

(Yes I do...he can bring Caleb back.)

At this, William's voice quieted for a moment and when the elder Danvers spoke again, Pogue could feel the remorse in the man's words.

_Pogue, what happened to my son was not your fault. You don't need–_

(Yes I do William. Caleb's worth more then I am!)

With a loud, mental grow Pogue sealed his mind off from the elder's presence and turned his attention back towards the man holding his hand out.

"Is there a problem?" John Putnum asked, more curiously then impatiently.

"No." The empath replied, taking the hand a moment later.

"Good, now this might hurt."

Pogue yelped as a painful jab of pain shot down his right arm a moment later. The pain felt no less horrible then a set of razor blades being slashing his arm. The feeling crawled up his arm into his head a blink of an eye later, causing hundreds of memories to uproot themselves and run through his mind non stop. He could feel John Putnum's powers watching every one of them as they flashed by, appearing to be amused by some and intrigued by a few regarding Reid and Tyler.

Through half-laded eyes, Pogue saw Putnum place his other hand on Caleb's side, near the knife wound. He ran a finger over the cut and a strange red light soon tinted its dark insides. Pogue let out a painful scream a moment later, his right hand still kept in Putnum's grasp tightly. The elder didn't pay him any mind and continued keeping his full attention on the deceased teen on the stone table.

After what felt like the course of a year, Pogue felt the hot pains cease and his body fell heavily to the stone floor almost immediately after Putnum released the hold on his hand. The empath's eyes squeezed shut in relief a moment later, his body almost completely curling in on it's self. His relief was short lived however and just as quick as the other one, another piercing pain moved through his arm. In a panic, Pogue cracked his eyes open and gasped when he saw something dark crawling vine-like up his arm. It looked like a never ending set of dark blue runes were burrowing into his skin.

(What the fuck?)

They continued crawling and writhing until they reached his forearm and just as quick as they came, the blue lines then faded into the skin, completely disappearing in the blink of an eye.

(What the hell was that?)

Confused and gasping for breath, Pogue raised his head in search of the man who caused his pain but soon discovered he wasn't there. The empath moved his gaze through the room and soon spotted the elder a short ways away, kneeling on the hard floor near Tyler's still sleeping form. He was too far away to see the elder's face but he did see something that puzzled him. Putnum leaned closer to Tyler's face and lightly placed his thin, pale fingers on the boy's forehead. With a gentle caress of his fingers, Putnum leaned close to the younger boy's ear and whispered something the empath couldn't hear before moving away from the teen completely.

The dark elder then turned towards Pogue's direction and grinned darkly, the look would've made Pogue's body shutter if he wasn't so exhausted from the pain the elder had caused.

"I'll see you in a year boy."

With that, Putnum waved an arm outwards and the sea of candles completely extinguished, leaving the entire room in darkness. Pogue blinked and lingered on the floor for a moment, wondering if the man was truly gone before gingerly rolling to his knees. His arms shook the moment he place any weight on them but the teen swallowed down the shaking and forced himself to crawl the small distance towards the stone table.

He had to use a small ounce of his powers, a feet that took more energy then he had left in him to pulling himself up the small distance to the stone's main surface. Even in the thick darkness, he could fully make out Caleb's still form. With a gulp, Pogue reached a trembling hand out and placed it on the older boy's arm. A loud gasp came from his mouth when his fingers felt warmth and with a deep breath, Pogue pulling himself up the table's length to place his head against Caleb's stomach. He gave a startled cry when he felt the warm flesh under his ear move and expand.

(He's breathing...)

He kept his ear closely pressed to the body for a few more long seconds, a deep, exhausted laugh escaping his mouth. The relief spread through his tired limbs fully and he didn't feel or care when his arms gave out and he rolled ungracefully back to the hard floor.

(He's breathing... he's alive.)

His eye lids fluttered tiredly and with a deep sigh, Pogue felt them close. Sweet, resting darkness was only a few short seconds away and now that he knew Caleb was alright, Pogue didn't mind slipping into it.

_You damned fool_, William's voice sighed from somewhere in the darkness.

(He's alive William, that's all that matters.)

William's voice drew silent for a few long moments before the elder replied in a soft tone.

_Pogue, for what's its worth thank you. I'm not going to condemn what you've done, but allow me to repay the deed in kind. _

Pogue nodded mentally but felt a concern suddenly grow in his mind.

(Wait, Gorman and Reid, they need–)

_Leave it to me Pogue, get some rest._

Pogue didn't argue and finally let himself fall into the thick sleep that was pulling him down into the refreshing abyss.

--

_Gorman..._

The elder was almost startled completely out of his chair as a deep voice touched his mind. He probed the foreign presence wearily.

(Who is this?)

_Its William old friend, don't be alarmed._

The elder blinked and composed himself.

(William? How is this even possible?)

William's presence remained silent for a few passing moments before he sighed heavily.

_None of that matters right now old friend...I'm afraid your god child has just made the biggest mistake of his life..._


	45. Chapter 45

I'm both thrilled and saddened to inform everyone that this is the last chapter. I'm so happy everyone enjoyed reading this.

**Chapter 45 "The Unforgiven"**

Consciousness slowly began to seep into Pogue's body and very slowly the empath felt himself stir to awareness. His eyes cracked open and the blurry images of his surroundings puzzled him. He expected to see darkness and the cold stone floor of the dreaded room under his face but instead he was greeted with the sight of a plush bed cover.

Pogue blinked his eyes until they focused and raised his head. Sure enough he was resting on a plush, queen bed in an old bedroom. After scanning the length of the room with his hazy eye sight, it dawned on him almost instantly that he was in the colony house.

Confused, Pogue gently eased himself up into a sitting position, wincing as a searing pain rose through his right arm. The empath cursed softly and held his hand close to his face. His palm was cleaned free of blood and tightly bandaged with a cloth. He was relieved to see that the traces of the blue runes were gone from his arm as well.

Pogue then glanced downward and blinked when he saw his right leg was also blood free. In fact, he was even dressed in a new pair of jeans, that were a few sizes too big for him, and he could feel another bandage wrapped around his thigh where the knife had cut into him.

(Caleb?)

Pogue raised his head and scanned the length of the room once again. He was the sole occupant of the room but when he reached out with his powers he felt several presences not very fair away from him. He wasn't awake enough to feel out who they were but it was enough to motivate him to slide to the edge of the bed and gingerly to his feet. He wobbled slightly but managed to stay on both feet by gripping the bed frame and the doorway as he made his way out of the room.

The hall was empty and cold, like the old house normally was, and Pogue shivered slightly as the chill worked its way into his skin. After a deep, shuttering breath Pogue stepped out into the hall and sent a small strand of his mind out into the house. It touched several presences, one was obviously Gorman - Pogue couldn't help his sigh of relief from that. He was finally out of that damned place, none of this was a trick of Chase's - and Reid's presence was somewhere on the first floor but the one that instantly grabbed his attention was the faint, almost sleeping presence that originated at the end of the hallway he was standing in.

(Caleb?)

He set off towards the direction the vibe came from, glancing into every room he passed until he reached the lone bedroom at the end of the hall. He couldn't remember the last time he ventured this far into the old house, he normally preferred to stay on the house's lower levels because the aged look on the second floor normally creped him out. The bedroom looked old and recently dusted clean. He paused in the doorway, his eyes immediately drawn towards the room's only bed and the figure sprawled across it.

Caleb's eyes were lightly closed, signaling the teen wasn't awake. Pogue entered the room and approached the bed, his eyes never leaving Caleb's form. The teen's chest was slowly rising and falling, signaling breath and Pogue felt his chest un-tighten for the first time in 3 months. Caleb was alive, he was still alive.

The empath gently reached his hand out and pushed the hem of Caleb's t-shirt up, exposing the thin cut along the boy's left side, the wound Pogue inflicted with that horrid knife. The cut was scabbed over; looking like the wound had closed well over a year ago. Putnum really did it; Caleb was fully healed and alive.

The empath moved his hand upwards until it rested a few inches above Caleb's forehead. He closed his eyes and lightly touched Caleb's mind with his powers. He felt around gently - he didn't know how much damage had been done to Caleb's mind since the last time he reached for it - keeping a weary eye out for any traces of Chase's powers or anything worse. He lingered for a short time, relishing the silence in Caleb's mind before he felt the teen become aware of his presence. Caleb seamed hesitant at first to reach out to him but eventually the older boy - whether curious or too exhausted to fight - let their minds touch.

Pogue couldn't help but grimace; Caleb's presence felt so lost and weak. He tried to comfort the teen as best as he could and much to his relief, the older boy accepted it and let Pogue's thoughts cling to him.

(You're safe, he's gone.)

He repeated those words a few more times in his mind, hoping Caleb heard him. He did, the older boy emitted thoughts of relief into his mind before Pogue reluctantly broke the connection; both of them were too exhausted to keep it alive any longer then needed.

Pogue then opened his eyes and heaved a deep, relieved sigh. Finally things were okay. Just as the wonderful thought spread, Pogue felt someone's presence enter the room. He turned towards the doorway and felt himself freeze when he saw Gorman. The elder's face was blank as he gazed at the empath and Pogue grew confused when he didn't feel any emotions in the room from the elder.

Pogue swallowed and slowly slid off the edge of the bed, approaching the elder wearily.

"Gorman?"

The elder eyed him for another long moment before stepping forwards and throwing his thin arms around the teen's neck and shoulders in a tight embrace. Pogue stood there dumbfounded for a moment, he honestly couldn't remember the last time Gorman hugged him, before letting his shoulders fall in relief.

--

Tyler groaned low in his throat as he felt his eyes slowly open. His surroundings came in the form of a huge, dark blur that he couldn't recognize. Something warm was pressed against his temple and curious, he reached out his arm. His fingers brushed against soft, bare skin and relief immediately washed over him. His fingers knew the feel of that soft skin anywhere.

"Reid...?"

His voice was raspy and stiff but judging from the movement under his head, the person had obviously heard him.

"Hello Tyler." A strange voice purred.

Despite his tired state, Tyler pulled himself upright and gazed in fear at the person next to him. It wasn't Reid; his hair was dark and shorter then the blond's and his eyes were the wrong shade of blue. Before he could move away, a strong hand reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him closer. Tyler yelped and tried to wiggle away but the man was much stronger and he soon found himself pressed tightly against a well muscled chest.

"No–"

"Yes." The strange man interrupted. "I've been waiting a long time for you."

"What?"

Tyler raised his head and got a look at the man this time. His eyes were a pale blue color and as he gazed into them, a cold realization soon settled inside his stomach; he's seen those eyes many times before, but where?

"W–who are you?"

"You know who I am." He whispered quietly, sending another chill down Tyler's spine. "And you'll soon remember in time."

The man's face turned blank as he stared at the young boy in his arms. Fear settled inside of Tyler's throat as he felt those piercing eyes roam up and down his body. He jumped with one of the man's hands lightly grabbed his chin and forced their eyes to meet.

"Those eyes..." The man whispered huskily, staring right into Tyler's deep blue gems. "So fragile and innocent, they cut into my soul such a long time ago and broke me with every look."

Tyler swallowed and tried to look away but the man's fingers wouldn't let him.

"They're almost the same as _his_...Almost."

With that, the man pulled him closer and seized his lips in a firm but gentle kiss. Tyler growled in protest and attempted to push the man away but his grip was too strong. The man's lips were as cold as death but despite their coldness, Tyler felt something inside of his chest flutter. The lips felt so familiar to him but at the same time they didn't. They sure as hell weren't Reid's but he knew he felt them before on his skin.

But how could he? Reid was the only one he'd ever been with; he was a virgin at everything before the blond. So why was this man familiar?

Before he could dwell on the thought further, he felt the man pull him closer and one of his cold hands slid up his bare thigh. He shivered violently, suddenly realizing his own nakedness. God, the man he was pressed against was also naked. His stomach turned violently but he couldn't force himself to push the man touching him away. His body was craving the touch, the need for it felt like it hadn't been satisfied in years. Fear started building inside of his stomach as he felt the man's hand travel across his stomach and continue downwards.

No, this wasn't right. This man wasn't Reid so he shouldn't be doing this, he shouldn't want this.

"No."

Just as soon as the words ease from his mouth, Tyler felt another hand, this one much warmer touch his shoulder gently.

"_Ty?"_

That voice...

"Reid?"

As soon as he said the blond's name he felt the hands on his body move away, leaving him alone in the darkness, lingering and confused.

--

"Ty?"

Reid felt his heart lurch painfully as Tyler curled away from his hand on his shoulder and groaned quietly, almost like he was trying to move away from Reid's hand. The small rejection pained the blond greatly.

"Tyler?" He shook the teen's shoulder once again, harder.

Tyler stirred from the shake and Reid felt the air inside of his lungs diminish when he saw Tyler's blue eyes slowly open and fill with terror.

"Ty?"

The younger boy made a small sound in his throat and turned his head towards the direction Reid's voice came from.

"Reid?"

The blond felt his insides freeze when the blue-eyed teen whispered his name.

"Yeah Ty, it's me."

The words barely left his mouth before Tyler uttered another throaty sound and crawled towards him. Reid was to protest, not sure that Tyler should be moving that much when he had no idea what had happened to him in the first place, but Tyler had managed to wedge himself tightly against his chest before he could even opened his mouth. His arms immediately came around the younger boy's frame, so thankful he finally had Tyler back in his arms and judging from the way the younger boy curled into his arms, he was happy about it too.

"It's okay Ty, its okay." Reid whispered softly into Tyler's dark hair. "You're safe now."

--

"Here."

Pogue was drawn out of his thoughts when a steaming mug of tea was offered to him. He took it with a grateful nod and held the hot cup in-between his still hands, feeling the warmth slowly seep into his tired body.

"Thanks."

Gorman left his side and crossed the short distance to the study's window. "I assume _that boy _is long gone."

Pogue nodded, still looking down at his hands clasped around the mug's hot sides. "Yeah, the fucker's long gone."

The empath expected Gorman to scold him for his language but either the elder agreed with the chosen word or was too exhausted to say anything because the matter was quickly put aside and replaced by a thick silence that soon filled the room.

Pogue was exhausted, both physically and mentally. His fight with Chase had left many scars and the events that fallowed with Putnum left him drained and sickly. He still found himself glancing down at his right arm every few minutes, fearing that he'd see the blue runes slithering up his skin. He still had no clue what the hell all that was about but the pit in his stomach told him all he needed to know; it wasn't anything good.

Fear started settling inside of him before he could stop it and he cursed mentally when he saw Gorman turn around out of the corner of his eye and face him. The elder's powers were feeling his mind before he could blink but thankfully he managed to keep them from getting to far into his head.

"There's something you're not telling me isn't there?"

Silence once again filled the room but both covenant members retained their resolve. Pogue's shoulders tensed and the teen bit his lower lip slightly, debating on what details he should release to the elder about what happened in that damned place but the truth was he didn't know exactly where to begin. He chewed on his lower lip slightly as he mulled his thoughts over and eventually opened his mouth to speak but he felt his voice die in his throat as he did so.

Pogue blinked and cleared his throat to try again, hoping he could recap his fight with Chase and the events with John Putnum, but he felt his voice give out before he utter one single syllable. His right wrist suddenly burned and even though the pain was nothing more then a quick, sharp jab he almost dropped the mug clutched in his hands because of it.

(What the fuck?)

Across the room, Gorman must've felt Pogue's pain and confusion touch his mind because the elder's eyes narrowed and his face grew concerned.

"Pogue?"

Pogue nervously shuffled the mug around in his hands and thought about changing the subject, wondering if his voice would give out again.

"How'd you find us?"

Relief settled inside of Pogue's chest as he heard the words leave his mouth. At least he wasn't completely mute. He could feel Gorman sigh mentally from his annoying habit of always changing the subject by for once Pogue couldn't physically help it.

"William."

Pogue raised his head and gazed at the elder with confusion. "William?"

"Yes, he contacted me several hours ago, informing me that you, Caleb and Tyler could be found near the wreckage of the barn." The elder replied evenly and then his tone darkened. "And he also mentioned something else..."

Pogue felt himself squirm under Gorman's harsh gaze, knowing full what was coming.

(Damn you William.)

"Pogue, I'll ask once again. Did something happen that you're not telling me?"

The empath's throat tightened painfully once again, preventing him from speaking and the pain in his right arm flared up once again, almost like the pain was the thing that was halting his voice. It seamed he couldn't mention anything that had happened, something inside of him wouldn't allow it.

He knew Gorman could feel his discomfort because he didn't have the strength to conceal it. Within moments, Gorman was across the room to his side, one of his thin boney hands lightly placing it's self on Pogue's shoulder. The teen couldn't help but flinch from the feeling but Gorman didn't pull away. His powers immediately started ghosting against Pogue's mind and not knowing what else to do, Pogue took a deep breath and let him in; hoping the dark magic that prevented him from speaking didn't apply to his memories.

He swore a quick second later as the elder's intrusions caused a white, hot pain to slide down his back. His wrist kept burning and the pain soon grew to an intense level. Knowing that Gorman would soon feel his pain, Pogue grabbed onto the elder's mental presence and pulled it deeper into his memories. He wasn't physically able to speak of the events that happened so this was the only thing he could think of. He pulled forth the memories of his fight with Chase and felt Gorman carefully view them before gathering what he could of John Putnum.

The moment Gorman's powers touched the memory of when Putnum reviled himself, the elder's powers came to a full halt. He played a few more images for the elder to see but Gorman withdrew his powers after a short time. Pogue gasped loudly as the link was severed and felt himself grow lightheaded. Gorman's hands grasped his shoulders when his body threatened to fall out of the chair he was sitting in and held the teen tightly to the chair as a strong wave of vertigo came over him.

When the haze thinned Pogue's eyes were drawn to his right arm only to see the blue runes once again crawl up his skin. Gorman saw it too and grasped the teen's arm tightly, ignoring Pogue's pained hiss. He turned the limb over just in time to see the blue ink fad into the skin of Pogue's arm, leaving a dark red spot in its place.

Pogue blinked and turned to look at Gorman. The elder's face was a mix of confusion, astonishment and anger, cold, dark anger.

"Gorman?"

The elder drew back from the chair silently, his eyes never leaving Pogue's arm. No emotions could be felt in the air from the elder and Pogue's chest tightened with worry. He opened his mouth in an attempt to say the elder's name once again but he caught sight of someone entering the study out of the corner of his eye.

"Gorman there's someone–" Reid closed his mouth when he entered the study, sensing the heavy silence in the room. "Uh, should I come back?"

Both covenant members eyed the blond for a long time until Gorman broke the silence with a light sigh.

"No Reid. What is it?"

Reid's gaze moved back and both between the two of them a few dozen times, sensing the tension between the two, before he spoke. "There's someone, um, someone's at the door."

At that, the elder frowned and slowly walked through the room towards the hall, passing both of the teens without a second look. For some, unknown reason that cut right into Pogue's fragile state. It almost felt like Gorman couldn't even bring himself to look him in the eye. It took all of Pogue's remaining willpower to not let the tears gathering at the edges of his eyes fall. Unfortunately, one ran down the side of his cheek before he could stop it and he knew, instantly that Reid saw it.

"Pogue?"

Pogue took a deep breath and ran the corner of his sleeve along his cheek. When he spoke, his voice was even and emotionless.

"How's Tyler?"

Reid blinked, dumbfounded before answering. "He's fine. He woke up about ten minutes ago. Gorman checked him earlier and said he was fine and Chase free."

Even through his grief, Pogue the corner of his mouth curve into a grin. At least Tyler was ok, one less worry. Then again, Putnum admitted to protecting him.

"That's good. Reid, promise me something."

The blonde cocked an eyebrow, concerned. "Um, ok. What?"

"Look after Tyler."

The empath felt Reid's confusion deepen but thankfully, the blond nodded proudly.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to him again, I swear it."

Even as he said it, Pogue felt the truthfulness and dire need in the blond's words.

"Good and please, keep an eye on Caleb for me too."

Reid tensed but eventually nodded. "If he's the _real_ Caleb I will."

"He is. He's gonna be a mess for a while so please— just try to help him out as best as you can please."

His voice cracked at the end, making the blond raise an eyebrow.

"Ok Pogue." Reid answered hesitantly. "I'll keep an eye on him."

With a sigh, Pogue nodded his thanks and wearily walked towards the doorway. As he moved out into the hall he heard Reid's footsteps behind him and when he glanced over his shoulder he caught a glimpse of the blond heading into the old kitchen at the other end of the hall. As the empath continued down the hall, his ears picked the sound of two voices. As he neared the foyer of the old house his eyes saw who they belonged too. Naturally one was Gorman but the second figure took him a moment to recognize; Evelyn Danvers.

When Pogue fully entered the foyer, both of them ended their conversation and turned towards him. Evelyn gasped loudly when she laid eyes on him and hurriedly crossed the distance between them.

"You." She cried as she threw her arms around Pogue's shoulders. "You, you wonderful, sweat, wonderful– my son, you gave me my son back–"

The rest of her words were drowned out by her heavy sobbing and Pogue ignored the tug at his heart strings from her words and wrapped his arms around her, letting the closest thing to a mother he had in the past three years cry heavily against his chest. He glanced over her head at Gorman and managed to glimpse a hint of sorrow in the elder's eyes before Gorman looked away and cleared his throat.

"He's on the second floor Evelyn, this way." He spoke, lightly placing his hand on Evelyn's shoulder.

The weeping mother pulled away and composed herself, giving Pogue a weak smile before allowing Gorman to lead her through the foyer. As they neared the stairs, Gorman glanced over his shoulder at the empath, his eyes once again expressionless.

"Wait for me in my study."

Pogue remained still, not even bringing himself to nod. His blue eyes bore into the back of Gorman's head as he lead Evelyn up the stairs and only looked away when the two were out of sight. When he couldn't hear their footsteps anymore, Pogue inhaled a deep breath and turned towards the front door. He wasn't in any mood to tolerate Gorman any more, or anyone for that matter. All he wanted was just to go home.

Without making a single sound, Pogue opened the front door and closed it quietly behind him. No one in the old house noticed.

--

Tyler's head rose when he heard the door of his room open. His chest tightened for a moment, fearing it was Chase or worse but the fear quickly sub-sided when Reid's frame came into view. The blond shut the door behind him and turned to reveal a few bottles of water and a handful of grain bars clutched in his arms which he dumped on the closest corner of the bed.

"This was the best I could find; apparently Gorman doesn't need to eat actual food." The blond grumbled.

Tyler eyed the food pile silently. He knew he should probably eat something but he couldn't bring himself too. His stomach was still in a tight knot from the earlier dream he had and he felt no desire to mention it to Reid. After all, who would mention to their boy friend about having a sex dream that didn't involve him? He still had no idea who the other person in the dream was or why the man was familiar to him. He knew he's never seen him before.

Tyler was drawn out of his thoughts when he felt the bed dip as Reid crawled onto it and scooted up behind him.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

Reid nestled against him and lightly rested his head in the crook of the younger boy's neck. "Well Pogue wouldn't tell me a damn thing about what happened. Do you remember anything?"

Tyler lowered his eyes and shook his head. "No. All I remember was sitting in Gorman's study with you, everything's blank after that. I feel like I've been asleep for a year though."

He heard Reid sigh against his neck. "I'm just glad you're ok Ty. I didn't know what to think when I woke up and saw that you were gone."

Feeling Reid's arms loosen their grip slightly, Tyler shifted until he faced the blond and buried his face against Reid's chest. He needed to feel the blond's warmth, needed that contact for some unknown reason although Tyler guessed it had something to do with the dream he had. The older boy held him tightly without complaint and Tyler only nestled closer. Reid felt nothing like the man in his dream, Reid was warm and his touches were much softer.

Reid drew s husky breath and started lightly kissing the side of Tyler's neck, causing the younger boy to moan softly.

"I love you Baby Boy."

Tyler's only answer was to nestle deeper into the blond's arms. But no matter how hard he tried not to think about it; in the back of his mind Tyler could still feel those unknown, cold hands touching his body.

--

The sound of the water falling over his shoulders seamed to be the only thing keeping Pogue's mind clear and the empath enjoyed the small distraction. Actually, Pogue was just happy to be back home – his real, non-Chase improvised home– and showering. The familiar surroundings and the hot water raining down on his tired shoulders should've been enough to ease his mind but unfortunately it wasn't. All he could see whenever he closed his eyes was that damned stone room and John Putnum's face.

"_I'll see you in a year boy."_

The man's voice kept repeating the one line inside of his head over and over again. A year, what would happen to him in a year?

Death?

"_Would you die for him?"_

A grim realization suddenly came over him. Death...of course. William said the ritual would kill Caleb if Chase did it and since Pogue himself...

(That has to be what that son of a bitch meant. A year...one fucking year?)

The realization sent a chill down the empath's spine and a white, hot pain up his arm. Pogue hissed loudly and glanced down at his right arm, seeing the blue runes suddenly appear on his skin and writhe up his arm until they faded into the skin once more. Pogue glared at his arm and slammed his fist hard into the tiled wall. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes but if they fell they were unnoticed by the rest of the water cascading down his face from the shower head.

(One year, one fucking year.)

There was no other way to put it, nothing he could say or think would erase that thought from his mind.

He had one year to live, one year until he was doomed to die in Caleb's place...

--

The phone in Pogue's living room rang for the course of twenty seconds before the automated recording for the answering machine instructed the caller to leave a message.

"_Pogue its Reid. I know you're not going to pick up but I just wanted to let you know that Caleb's... Caleb's finally awake..."_


	46. Author’s Final Notes

**Author's Final Notes:**

Holy crap this is the first EVER series that I have finished. (Throws confetti everywhere) This story is about a year and a half old (2 years in October) and has been a very happy distraction from my daily college life. Lots of people on my end have read it and loved it. I can not even begin to describe how that feels to me but what was really overwhelming was the large amount of people reading this on here and loving it. I never expected this many people to like my idea and I'd like to take a moment to thank you all. It's because of your lovely praising reviews that this story was finished in the first place. I enjoyed writing this and reading all the reviews it's brought in (and I read each and every review personally and many times over) and the hype it has caused is just incredible.

Thank you once again for your lovely words and I can not express how much they mean to me.

…and yes, there will be sequel to this. Like I'd leave it here? LOL

**Story Ideas:**

This list of where my ideas came from is a mile long….no I'm not kidding LOL. The main plot line for the Crimson Ritual came from the Fatal Frame 2 video game and the main ritual it centered around, "The Crimson Sacrifice" only without the twins and the village will be lost forever in hell thing. If you're a fan of the series you'll recognize elements from the 3rd game in here as well. Over time I came up with more ideas like to involve Gorman more and to give the boys an individual power and of course, to include John Putnum.

**The Boys:**

I love them to death and wouldn't change a darn thing about them in the movie…expect their character development and of course you know I'd ship them together so hard it would be a crime. **Caleb**'s development was the typical "Hero's Journey On A Low Budget Film" type but I only wish that Caleb was tested a bit more to help his growth instead of the whole "Wow, I guess it's up to me to save all of you and what not". **Pogue**'s role on the movie really annoyed me at times; basically all his character ever does is agree with Caleb just like a little 'yes man' and the one time he does something for himself (Must save Kate! Must save Kate!) It turns out to be ANOTHER annoying way for him to be Caleb's little motivation puppet. Well, I couldn't have that, I always love the under appreciated characters. From the beginning I knew I was gonna use Pogue as the main protagonist and Chase as the antagonist (for the non English majors out there those are the 2 terms used to "good and bad guys') due to the scene when they're at Nicky's. It's obvious Caleb means a great deal to Pogue because of the little fits he throws when Caleb is giving all his attention to Chase. **Reid and Tyler** are little more then props in the movie. Combined, they have about 12 lines and they only speak in order to voice the obvious. I know I'm not the only one in the world angered by this as I scroll through our area in Fan Fiction so I tried to give the two as much screen time as I could.

**The Pairings:**

Slash is wonderful and these four just screamed "ship us together". Since Pogue was going to be my main boy I had to center the world around him and his love interest. I picked Caleb right from the get go because of all the eye fucking the two were doing in the movie and like I said above, it's obvious Caleb means a lot to Pogue so that got my dark little mind working. Reid and Tyler are almost canon so they became my second couple by default. As for Tyler and John Putnum, only the sequel will tell…

**End Notes:**

-For a visual of John Putnum, see my profile page

-More info about the early Covenant, Gorman and John Putnum will be reviled in the sequel

- Someone messaged me the other day about wanting to do a small one shot based on this and let me first say, I'm all for it BUT you need to ask me before hand for permission or it will be the very last thing you ever do…no I'm not kidding. I will not take anyone stealing my story lightly and I've already had some incidents with it. If you would like to write a spin off or a one shot around my universe here please message me before hand because there are things I will need to go over with you first. And no, I will not accept any Mary Sues what so ever, this series is SLASH only, sorry.

**Thank you** to Christina, Lucas and Dorine for helping me write this and coming up with good plot bunnies for me. HUGE thank you to _Animegirl1129_ for being my beta and idea buddy. Thank you _xposedagain_ for helping with the early ideas and letting me bounce them off of you and much love to _pippii_ and _babydracky_ for always being the first ones to review on chapters. And lastly, thanks to all you once again for reading


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